


Harry Potter and the Metamorphmagus

by CanonConvergence18



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Gen, Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Slight Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2019-11-27 15:50:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 130,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18196214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanonConvergence18/pseuds/CanonConvergence18
Summary: A year and a half after the death of Voldemort, Harry finds himself struggling to adapt to life as an Auror. With the help of Tonks and his friends, he begins to find his place in a world where everything no longer rests on his shoulders.





	1. Coffee and Conversations

**Author's Note:**

> A little while ago I was challenged by a friend to write a story about a relatively rare Harry Potter pairing. What was originally meant to be a quick one-off rapidly evolved into a novel length project, as I discovered a surprising affection for this pair. Overall, I've attempted to maintain characterization and post-Deathly Hallows canon compliance as much as possible, with two important exceptions. First, Tonks is obviously still alive, and never had a relationship or child with Lupin (which I never understood anyway). Second, Harry and Ginny have broken up prior to this story. Other than that, I've done my best to follow Rowling's timeline and activities for every other character.
> 
> In addition to these changes, while I've attempted to emulate Rowling's writing style, I diverge in a pretty critical way. This story will eventually feature a slightly ridiculous amount of explicit sex. I'll attempt to indicate which chapters will feature sex scenes, in case this isn't your thing. At some point I plan to put a more sanitized version up on FanFiction.net, but until then, I hope you don't mind making do. Given the community here, I imagine this won't be too much of a problem.
> 
> Finally, if anyone is at all curious, the following illustration was my main inspiration for Tonks's look. I'll freely admit I did not care for the depiction of most characters in the movies. https://www.deviantart.com/hitofanart/art/Nymphadora-Tonks-187752294

Harry reflected that he had spent too much time in Kingsley Shacklebolt’s office lately.  It wasn’t an ugly office or anything.  A bit cramped, with file cabinets and bins overflowing with reports and the accumulated detritus that came with being Minister of Magic and Acting Head of the Department of Magical Law Enfocement.  Harry didn’t mind that too much.  Nor did he mind seeing Kingsley, one of the few members of the Order of the Phoenix to survive the war.  If he had simply been invited in for a friendly chat, these visits might have been quite pleasant.

That wasn’t why Harry kept seeing the Minister though.

He fidgeted in his seat while Kingsley, seated behind a desk as messy as the office it occupied, read through a lengthy roll of parchment.  Harry wanted to say something; he even opened his mouth a couple times, but thought better of it each time.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Harry, Kingsley set aside the parchment.  With a deep sigh, he ran a hand over his eyes before raising his head to regard Harry steadily.

“Do you have anything you want to add to Auror Smith’s report, Harry?” Kingsley asked.  His deep voice was as calm as ever, but Harry could still hear the slightly strained undercurrent in the question.

  Harry considered his response carefully.  He knew that a lot was riding on how he handled this situation.

“Only that we got everyone out with no casualties,” he said eventually, deciding it would be best to highlight the positives.

“Auror Smith mentioned that,” Kingsley said, nodding towards the parchment. “He also mentioned that Neville almost tripped a jinx that would have taken his head off.”

Harry shifted uncomfortably. “We caught it in time.”

Kingsley didn’t say anything but continued to look at Harry until he could no longer hold the Minister’s gaze and looked down at his lap.

“This is becoming a problem, Harry,” Kingsley said gravely. “I think we can both agree that something needs to change.”

Harry felt it would be unwise to disagree in this moment, so he nodded.

“I don’t want to lose you as an Auror recruit,” Kingsley went on. “Even if we weren’t trying to rebuild, you’d be an outstanding candidate.  But we can’t keep going like this.” He leaned back in his seat, surveying Harry. “I’m going to remove you from the regular training group for the time being.”

Harry looked up sharply. “But sir,” he objected, “how am I supposed to learn the skills I need if I’m not training with everyone else?”

“You’re the man who killed Voldemort,” Kingsley said with a trace of irony. “Skills aren’t your problem, Harry.  It’s the dynamic you’ve established with the rest of the recruits.”

“We work well together,” Harry said, confused. “We’ve been through a lot and we all know each other.”

“That’s the problem,” Kingsley said. “You know each other too well.  Too many of the recruits are accustomed to looking to you for leadership.  But this isn’t Dumbledore’s Army, Harry.  They need to get used to taking orders from someone else.  And so do you.”

As much as he wanted to object, Harry knew it was futile.  Kingsley was immovable as rock once he’d made a decision.

“What will I do instead then, sir?” he asked dully.

“I’m going to pair you with a senior Auror,” Kingsley said. “They’ll oversee your training for the time being.  You’ll be responsible to them from now on.”

Harry’s throat tightened, wondering what the rest of the recruits would think when they found out about this.

“Who will it be?” he asked, dreading the answer.  He didn’t get along very well with many of the senior Aurors.

“I’ll need to think about it,” Kingsley said. “You’ll be informed tomorrow.” He looked at Harry not unkindly. “This will be for the best, Harry.  Do you understand?”

Harry nodded glumly.

 ***

Harry walked quickly through the Auror Office, doing his best to avoid catching anyone’s eye.  People looked curiously at him as he passed, and a couple called out to him, but he kept going.  When he reached his cubicle, he flung himself down at his desk and clasped his head in his hands, hoping he’d just be left alone.

Ordinarily Auror recruits were housed in a separate space, depending on the size of the cohort.  However, the decimation of the Auror Office during the Second Wizarding War had left a lot of space.  So, when Harry and a number of his classmates had accepted Kingsley’s open invitation to join the Aurors, no application needed, they had ended up being treated far more like full members than recruits.

At first Harry had rather liked this.  Sitting in the cubicles at the heart of Magical Law Enforcement made him feel like he was a part of exciting things.  Over time though, the lack of privacy had begun to wear on him, especially as these visits with Kingsley had become more frequent.  Given severe attrition, the Minister was also still acting as Head of the Auror Office, which meant that any time Harry ran afoul of Ministry protocol, he wound up sitting across from the stern wizard.  After which he had to walk past every other recruit on his way back to his desk.

“So, how’d it go?” Ron asked, poking his head into Harry’s little office space.

Harry wasn’t in a mood to talk about it, but he knew word would get around sooner or later. “Kingsley’s pulling me out of the training squad.”

“What?!” Ron said, stepping fully into the cubicle. “You mean he’s kicking you out?”

“No,” Harry clarified quickly, “he’s keeping me on, but he wants to pair me with a senior Auror instead.”

Ron frowned. “What’s the point of that?”

Harry shrugged. “He reckons you all follow my lead too much.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Ron snorted. “It’s not like you took down You-Know-Who or anything.  What’s he think, you’ve gone off your rocker?”

“I dunno what he’s thinking,” Harry said, not entirely truthfully. “Maybe he wants us to listen to people like Smith more.”

“We’d all be happy to follow Smith if he weren’t an idiot,” Ron said, albeit rather quietly. “I mean, we got those people out, didn’t we?”

“I guess that’s not good enough,” Harry said, feeling bitter.

“Did he say who you’ll be paired with?” Ron asked.

“No,” Harry shook his head. “Said he’d tell me tomorrow.”

“Well it might not be too bad,” Ron said bracingly. “Could be fun.  You know, change of pace.”

Harry snorted. “Yeah, being babysat by Jackson or Davies sounds like a real treat.”

Ron had no response to that.  After a minute Harry tried to change the subject.

“What are you doing later?” he asked. “Feel like dropping into the Leaky Cauldron?”

“Sorry mate, can’t,” Ron said. “Hermione wants to work on decorating the spare bedroom.”

Harry tried not to look too disappointed at this.  It wasn’t unexpected, after all.  Ever since Hermione had finished Hogwarts and moved to London several months ago, she and Ron had been inseparable.  While he was happy for them, Harry felt increasingly shut out.

Some of this must have shown on his face, because Ron added, “You could come along.  I’m sure Hermione would appreciate some extra help.”

“No, I’ll be fine,” Harry said, knowing full well just how long ‘decorating’ would last before they started putting the bedroom to other uses.  They been trying to finish that room for over a month now.

“You sure?” Ron asked, looking concerned.

Harry hoisted what he hoped was a convincing smile on his face. “Yeah, I’ve got a ton of work to finish up here.  Say hi to Hermione for me.”

“You’re still coming to the Burrow for dinner on Friday?” Ron said.

“Course,” Harry said. “Your mum’d kill me if I missed.”

Ron dithered a bit, but didn’t seem to know what to else to do.  He walked out with a parting tap on the wall of the cubicle, leaving Harry to his own thoughts.

 ***

Harry stayed late that night to avoid interacting with anyone else on the way out, and he came in early the next morning.  Most of the senior Aurors were workaholics, and he had hoped that Kingsley would let him know who he was being partnered with before the rest of the recruits got in.

Unfortunately, he had no such luck.  One by one, the rest of the new Aurors wandered in.  By this point news of his reassignment had gotten around, and he was forced to endure several of his friends stopping by to commiserate.  Then, once the morning trainings started, he was left sitting in the almost empty office, waiting for some clue of what he was supposed to do.

Around nine he was sitting idly, making various items fly around his office space, when a slender woman with bright pink hair wandered by.  She leaned against the wall, holding a large mug filled with, from what Harry could tell, the strongest coffee that had ever been brewed. 

“Wotcher, Harry,” she said around a huge yawn.

“Hey Tonks,” he said, letting his pens fall back onto the desk. “Late night?”

“Just a bit,” she said, stifling another yawn. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Keep me waiting?” Harry repeated in confusion.

“Kingsley told you he’d be pairing us up, right?” Tonks said.

“He said he’d be pairing me up with _someone_ ,” Harry said. “He didn’t mention who.”

“Oh, well it’s me,” Tonks said dryly. “Surprise.  Come on, let’s get started.”  She motioned for him to follow and off among the maze of cubicles.

It took Harry a brief moment to get over his shock and start after her.  It hadn’t crossed his mind that he might end up paired with Tonks.  After all, she was only five or six years older than him, hardly what he’d consider “senior.”  He’d forgotten that, with all the casualties in the war, Tonks had been one of the few veteran Aurors left.  It didn’t help that she acted even more irreverent than Ron sometimes.

In spite of himself, Harry felt his spirits lift a bit.  Maybe this wouldn’t be too awful after all.

Tonks lead them out of the Auror Offices, pausing only briefly to toss her now empty mug into the cluttered mess of her own cubicle.

“Where are we going?” Harry asked as they entered the corridor. “Practice rooms?”

“Nope,” Tonks replied, heading straight for the golden elevators. “Coffee.”

Harry was confused. “Didn’t you already have some?”

“Not enough,” she said, punching the button for the Atrium.

They rode the elevator down in silence.  Tonks did not seem awake enough for conversation, and Harry didn’t know what he would have said regardless.  This wasn’t exactly what he’d expected from the situation.  While he’d had some interaction with Tonks since joining the Aurors, it tended to be in group settings.  Like all the senior Aurors, she helped train the recruits, although now that Harry thought about it, she didn’t seem to conduct as many sessions as some of the others.  Harry wondered if this was because of her relative youth, but if that was the case, why would Kingsley pair them up?

These thoughts continued until they reached the Atrium and started making their way through the cavernous lobby.  Harry deliberately avoided looking at the memorial that had replaced the Fountain of Magical Brethren, preferring, as he always did, to keep his head down.

“Where are we headed?” he asked as they reached the Apparition point.

“I know a good place,” Tonks said, taking his arm.  He let her pull him into that constricting nothingness, guiding their path.  They reappeared a moment later, standing on a busy London street.  Luckily it was standing policy for Aurors to wear Muggle clothes just in case, and they drew no unusual attention.

“Right here,” Tonks said, motioning to a little café just up the street.  Harry began to follow up but stopped abruptly when he realized where she was taking him.

It was, against all odds, the little café where he, Ron, and Hermione had briefly taken refuge the night of Bill and Fleur’s wedding.  It looked exactly the same as it had two years ago, as if their brief scuffle had never taken place.  And of course it wouldn’t have.  They had repaired the shop to hide any evidence that they had ever been there.

“Something wrong?” Tonks asked from the door.  He looked at her suspiciously, wondering if she had arranged this intentionally.  She simply stood there, looking perfectly at ease, mild curiosity at his reaction displayed on her face.

“No, nothing,” Harry said, following her into the café.

The interior was just as unchanged; the same shabby chairs and booths he remembered far too well.  It was reasonably full at this hour, and Tonks led them through a maze of cramped chairs, apologizing repeatedly as she bumped into tables and people, to a booth in the corner.

Harry squeezed into a seat across from her, continuing to survey his surroundings.  Despite knowing that the likelihood of being attacked in this same place over a year after Voldemort’s death was low, he couldn’t bring himself to relax.  His only comfort was the reassuring pressure of his wand in its holster on his forearm.  He kept his hands clasped in case he needed to draw it at a moment’s notice.

He forced himself to stop scanning the room when a waitress approached them.  Thankfully it was not the same woman who had served them at their last visit.  Tonks ordered a coffee and a Danish before looking expectantly at Harry.  He asked for a tea, despite not feeling remotely thirsty.

“So, Harry, let’s have a chat,” Tonks said, as they waited for their drinks.  Belatedly he realized that she had changed her hair at some point, perhaps to minimize the attention they would draw.  It was now dark brown, almost black, shoulder length and wavy.  The change emphasized her resemblance to her mother, and unfortunately to her aunt as well.  That didn’t help Harry’s nerves.

“What about?” he asked, struggling to look her in the eye.

“I’m curious to hear about all the excitement the other day,” she said.

That darkened Harry’s mood even further. “Didn’t Kingsley fill you in?” he asked. He knew he sounded rude but couldn’t bring himself to care in the moment.

“Yeah, but I’d like to hear your version too,” she said, sounding unperturbed.

“There’s no other version,” Harry said, feeling unaccountably defensive. “Smith and I didn’t disagree on what happened.”

“Humor me,” Tonks said, sounding a bit irritated for the first time.  Harry regarded her coolly, but she held his gaze with no sign of backing down.

Their drinks and Tonks’s food arrived.  Tonks thanked the waitress but continued to look steadily at Harry.

“Fine!” Harry huffed eventually.  Taking a moment to collect himself, he launched into an account of the previous day’s events.

They’d been tracking the movements of two fugitive Death Eaters, Avery and Jugson, who had escaped the Battle of Hogwarts and been on the run ever since.  Harry and several recruits, including Ron, Neville, and Susan Bones, had been following up on rumored sightings in a small Scottish town.  Due to the routine nature of the task, and the scarcity of full Aurors, they hadn’t been under supervision.  Everyone expected it to be another dead end.

However, several of the locals they talked to not only recognized photos of Avery and Jugson, but mentioned that since their visit to the village a week prior, several townspeople had gone missing.  One woman even shared her suspicion that the two were devils from a nearby abandoned castle, which local legend held was extremely haunted.

Based on this, Harry had decided to do a quick reconnaissance of the castle.  It became quickly apparent that the place was heavily defended by Dark Magic.  Harry sent a Patronus to Auror Smith, the primary trainer, with the message that they had found the fugitive Death Eaters.  Smith responded immediately, ordering Harry and the others to wait for reinforcements before engaging.

It was at this point that Neville managed to break through a layer of the Death Eaters’ defenses and determine, through the Hominum Revelio spell, that there were more than two people in the castle.  Harry knew at once that they must be the missing townspeople.  He also worried that an assault by a full team of Aurors might spook the fugitives into killing their hostages.  So, he had decided to attempt a rescue himself.  Ron, Neville, and Susan, refusing to be left behind, accompanied him on his impromptu mission.

Harry skimmed over the details of their adventure, except to say that the whole castle had been magically booby-trapped by an array of complex spells and jinxes.  One such jinx had come within an inch of taking Neville’s head clean off.  As it was, he now looked as though his last haircut had gone very badly.

Ultimately, they were successful in taking the Death Eaters by surprise and subduing them.  They also found the captive Muggles who, although alive, appeared to have been tortured by Avery and Jugson for their own twisted enjoyment.  Neville had been difficult to restrain after that particular discovery.

In the end, although they had managed to capture the Death Eaters and recover the hostages alive, without taking any casualties themselves, Smith had been furious with them for not obeying his instructions.  He was particularly incensed with Harry, and laid into him the moment they returned to the Ministry.  He’d made clear that he would recommend Harry be removed from the Aurors to Kingsley.

At the conclusion of his tale, Harry fell silent.  He took a sip of his tea as an excuse for something to do.  Tonks, who had listened attentively throughout Harry’s account, picked absently at her Danish.

“How long before Smith showed up?” she asked.

“How lon – wait, what?” Harry said, surprised by the question.

“After you took out Avery and Jugson, how long did it take Smith to get there with back up?” Tonks repeated.

Harry thought back; the haze of adrenaline always made time feel slower.

“Maybe five minutes,” he guessed eventually.

“Were any of the hostages about to die when you found them?”

“What?  No,” he said, bewildered by the line of questioning.

“So, if you had waited five minutes for Smith, then all those people would still be okay and Neville wouldn’t be sporting a buzz cut right now?” Tonks observed.

Harry’s face grew warm as he realized what Tonks was getting at. “How could we have known he’d be there so fast?” he demanded. “It could have taken a while to gather enough people.”

Tonks raised an eyebrow. “According to Ministry regulations, how many Aurors must be on standby at the office at all times?”

“Four,” Harry said before he could help himself.  Recruits were expected to know regulations by heart within a month.

“Which means you knew that four Aurors plus Smith were an elevator ride away from Apparating to meet you, and you didn’t think to wait for them?” Tonks said.

Harry glowered at her. “Okay fine, but who’s to say they would have done any better with those jinxes than us?”

Tonks actually burst out laughing. “You said it was a Beheading Jinx that almost got Neville, right?” he nodded warily. “Harry, how did you even know how to spot a Beheading Jinx?”

Harry frowned in confusion. “Recognizing jinxes was one of the first things we learned when we started.  Wasn’t that the same for you?”

“Yeah it was,” she said, still giggling a little. “Did you forget who teaches that class?”

There was a sour taste in Harry’s mouth. “Smith,” he muttered.

“He taught me too,” Tonks said. “I’m guessing you heard how he escaped the Death Eaters?”

Harry nodded reluctantly.  It was a popular story in the Ministry.  Smith had been one of the earliest, and most vocal opponents of the Ministry’s anti-Muggle policies when Voldemort took over.  Not long after the takeover, several Death Eaters and crooked Aurors had gone to his house to shut him up.  They’d been met with a bewildering variety of traps, hexes, and jinxes that had reduced the lucky ones to blibbering messes.

The unlucky ones had very little left to blibber about.

“They still might have set something off by accident,” Harry said, unwilling to give up yet. “Or tipped off the Death Eaters that we were there.”

“Totally possible,” Tonks agreed. “But you might have too.”

Harry didn’t have a response for that, and look away, stewing in his own frustration.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve gone charging off on your own, or with one of your old school mates, is it?” Tonks asked.

Unwilling to look at her, but also knowing the futility of lying, Harry shook his head.

“Do you think any of those other times were like this one?”

In spite of himself, Harry thought back on the handful of instances in past months that he had disobeyed orders from Smith or one of the other senior Aurors.  As he considered each scenario, he was forced to the conclusion that a similar logic applied in most.

Reluctantly, he nodded.

“Why d’you think that is?” she asked.

“I dunno,” he admitted in frustration, looking back at her.  It was something that he’d been wrestling with for quite some time now as the incidents mounted. “I suppose I’m not used to having other people tell me how to do this sort of stuff.”

“I get that, Harry, I really do,” Tonks said sympathetically. “Hermione and Ginny told me about some of the things you’ve done.  Basilisks, Death Eaters, Horcruxes, and Merlin knows what else.”

Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes, all fight drained out of him. “I really thought this’d be easier.  I mean, I practically _was_ an Auror already.”

She reached across the table and patted him comfortingly on the arm. “Trust me, Kingsley and I understand that.  But there’s gonna be some differences.  It’s not just you and your friends running around on your own anymore.”

He nodded, feeling exhausted.  Then something she’d said flashed through his brain, and he looked up at her sharply.

“Wait, you mentioned Horcruxes,” he said, his voice hushed.  He looked around at the café, despite knowing that the odds of anyone near them caring what a Horcrux was. “Where’d you hear that from?” He, Hermione, and Ron had agreed not to tell anyone about Voldemort’s attempt at immortality, for fear of someone else trying to imitate him.

Tonks shrugged. “We guessed, Kingsley, Remus, and I.  We had a few clues to go off of, based on some things we heard from Dumbledore and reports about You-Know-Who.  We were definitely suspicious when we saw what happened to Bathilda Bagshot.  Once we got a look at that snake, we were pretty sure.”

Harry continued to look at her suspiciously. “How would you all know how to recognize a Horcrux?  I thought Dumbledore hid all the books about how to make them?”

“Come on, Harry, Hogwarts isn’t the only place with books,” Tonks said, rolling her eyes. “Have you even _been_ in the Auror library since you started?”

“Well sure,” Harry said, shifting guilty in his seat. “I mean, they showed it to us when we started.”

Tonks laughed again, but not meanly.  She had a very nice laugh, Harry realized, and he found himself reluctantly smiling along with her.

“Horcruxes usually get covered in the last year of training,” she explained. “It’s been decades since anyone’s even tried making one, besides You-Know-Who, but we like to stay prepared just in case.  We knew how to recognize some of the signs.”

Harry decided to believe her explanation.  He trusted that Ron and Hermione wouldn’t have said anything, and he knew none of the Death Eaters knew about Voldemort’s Horcruxes. 

“Was it just the snake?” Tonks asked. “We were always curious about that.  Most people just made do with one, but You-Know-Who was always an overachiever when it came to evil shit.”

Harry snorted. “No, it wasn’t just the snake.  He had six.”  He decided to leave out the part about him being an unwitting Horcrux.

“Six,” Tonks repeated speculatively. “You know, that actually makes a bit of sense because then his soul would be-”

“In seven, pieces,” Harry finished for her. “Yeah, he thought that would make him more powerful.”

“Interesting, but still super creepy,” Tonks said with a shudder.

“You know you and Kingsley can’t spread that around,” Harry said seriously. “No one’s ever tried making more than one Horcrux before.  If people knew that you could make more it would be a nightmare.”

Tonks frowned at him. “What do you think we’re going to do, Harry, start handing out leaflets?  Give us some credit, we know what we’re doing.”

“I know,” Harry said, “I just meant…”

“I know what you meant.” Her voice was quiet but firm. “But you’ve got to realize that there are other people who have fought the Dark Arts too.”

Harry nodded, feeling a bit ashamed.

“Alright,” Tonks said briskly, “I think that’s enough for today.  We’ll pick up again tomorrow.  In the meantime, you’re to go spend some time in our library.  You never know what you might find in there that could save your life one day.”

“You sound like Hermione,” he said with an ironic smile.

“Well, I hear she’s pretty smart,” Tonks said, rummaging in her pocket for Muggle money.  She nearly upended her mug scattering a few pounds on the table.  Coffee sloshed out before Harry caught it, making him realize he hadn’t seen her take a drink the whole time they’d been seated.

“I thought you said you needed more than one cup?” Harry said, gesturing to the cup.

“Nah,” Tonks said dismissively. “They make terrible coffee here.”

Harry looked around again and put two and two together. “It’s not a coincidence we came here, is it?”

Tonks grinned at him. “Knew you’d catch on eventually.  We’ll make a proper Auror out of you yet.”

And with that she set off through the cramped café, once again apologizing profusely along the way.

 ***

Harry spent the rest of the day browsing the library, per Tonks’s instructions.  To his grudging surprise he found the experience rather enjoyable.  It turned out that a library tailored to fighting the Dark Arts, and absent a prowling Madam Pince, was actually a bit fun.  Not that he planned to make this a regular excursion.  He still wasn’t Hermione.

He managed to avoid any of the other recruits as they returned from training and their various assignments.  The conversation with Tonks had been unexpectedly emotional, and he wasn’t quite ready to discuss it with anyone else, even Ron.

Despite that, he went to bed feeling better than he had in a while.  At the very least he wasn’t dreading the next day like he had been lately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the start of this story. I'm aiming to have a new chapter up at least once a week, if not more often. The main draft of the story is already written, so all I need to do is edit and upload. Comments and feedback are always welcome, particularly on what you think of my interpretation of the characters. In the meantime, if you're curious, my story "Hermione's Kinky Side" is written with this version of Ron and Hermione in mind. It has far less plot, if that's not your jam.


	2. A New Way of Looking at Things

Tonks showed up at his cubicle a little earlier, looking slightly more awake than the previous day.  Her hair was shoulder length and turquoise today.

“Ready to head out?” she asked.

“Sure,” Harry said. “Where are we going today?”

“Diagon Alley,” she answered. “I’ve got a couple leads to follow up on.”

“D’you need more coffee first?” Harry asked with a grin.

Tonks looked longingly at the massive mug in her hands. “We probably don’t have time,” she said sadly. “Get your game face on before we go.”

“Right,” Harry said, turning to the small mirror next to his desk.  That right there told him something about their errand.

Harry and the other Aurors had discovered very quickly that it was almost impossible for him to conduct any covert operations in the Wizarding world without some kind of disguise.  The moment people saw Harry Potter wandering around, they tended to go a little nuts.  So, whenever he needed to go unnoticed, he made a few adjustments.

He still wasn’t the master at Transfiguration that, say Hermione was, and he definitely wasn’t up to Tonks’s level, but he’d become reasonably proficient at altering his appearance with magic.  A few moments later, he turned back to Tonks for her opinion.  She had already switched her hair to a non-descript blonde.

He’d changed his hair to a light brown and grown it out to cover his scar; as a product of Dark Magic, no spell short of Polyjuice Potion could hide that.  He’d also altered the shape of his nose a bit and added a short beard.

She eyed him critically for a moment. “Not bad,” she decided. “Shame your scar isn’t on your shoulder or something, but I guess we can’t do anything about that.”

“Trust me, I’ve tried,” Harry said emphatically.  When he’d first started learning human Transfiguration he’d spent hours attempting to make his scar vanish to no avail.  He _had_ managed to transplant his nose onto his forehead however, and had been forced to seek out the help of a deeply amused Hermione when he couldn’t fix it.

Tonks seemed to misunderstand his discomfort though. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it doesn’t suit you or anything like that,” she said quickly. “It’s just, you know, for the sake of disguises.”

Harry looked at her in puzzlement; she seemed unusually flustered.  Before he could formulate a question though, she said, “Anyway, we should get going.”

They rode the elevator to the Atrium in silence again, although this time it was more awkward as Harry tried to figure out what he’d said to make Tonks uncomfortable.  They reached the Atrium and Disapparated, reappearing at the entrance to Diagon Alley.

“What are these leads we’re following up?” Harry asked as they set off up the street, thinking perhaps the question was reasonably safe.

“Oh that’s a secret,” Tonks said with a smile, appearing to revert back to her usual self.

“Secret?” Harry repeated, nonplussed.  In the whole of his time at the Ministry he had never been kept in the dark regarding the subject of a mission. “You mean you can’t tell me?”

“Nope,” Tonks said brightly. “You’ll just have to trust me.”

Harry felt himself grow nervous.  What kind of terrible Dark Magic were they after that Tonks couldn’t share with him?  His imagination began conjuring up horrifying scenarios involving Death Eaters, dementors, and who knew what else.

She led them up the street, pausing next to a pet store Harry did not recognize.  She turned to look at him with an unusually serious look on her face.

“Alright, Harry,” she said. “Like I said, I can’t tell you what we’re here for, but I need you to do something for me.”

Harry’s apprehension grew considerably.  He griped his wand tightly in the pocket of his jacket.

“Whatever you do,” she said, lingering on every word, “Stay right here.”

That brought him up short.  He’d been expecting something more elaborate. “Wait, what?”

“I need you, no matter what happens,” she reiterated seriously, “to stay right here on this spot.”

“Okay,” he agreed, wondering what she was expecting to happen.  Perhaps she expected her suspects to flee, and needed someone to catch them in case they got past her.

“You understand what I’m saying?” she asked. “You can’t move until I say so.”

“I understand,” he said, feeling increasingly alarmed.  What in the world were they after?

“Good,” she said, and before he could react, she pointed her wand at his face and said, “Revelio!”

At once he felt his disguise vanish, and his features revert to their usual, recognizable self.  Before he could do anything to salvage his anonymity however, Tonks let out an earsplitting shriek.

“IT’S HARRY POTTER!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, pointing at him. “MERLIN’S BEARD, IT’S HARRY POTTER!”

In an instant he was surrounded by every witch and wizard within earshot.  They clamored around him, shrieking and laughing and pushing to get closer to him.  He had one fleeting glimpse of Tonks at the edge of the crowd.  She threw him a wink, and vanished from sight.

He fought against rising panic as the crowd around him swelled with people crying and laughing and shouting.  They cried as they related where they were when they’d heard of his victory over Voldemort.  A few told him that their children had seen him at Hogwarts.  He was made to sign Chocolate Frog cards bearing his own face.  Two wizards asked if they could become Aurors too.  Three witches and one bloke begged him to go out with them.  Someone shouted a rather frightening request to have her babies.

For a moment Harry debated just Disapparating and to hell with Tonks’s instructions.  But there were too many people around him, he’d probably bring along half of them if he tried to get away.  He supposed he could just jinx them all, but he could just imagine the headline in the next day’s _Prophet_ if he did that. _Harry Potter Attacks Crowd in London: Has the Boy-Who-Lived Finally Cracked?_

Plus, Tonks had made it sound really important that he stay here.  So, he resigned himself to the fawning of dozens of frantic fans.  He tried to keep an eye out for any sign of trouble, but there were too many people to see anything clearly.  Plus, the people mobbing him expected him to respond to them, and the effort not to shout at the lot of them took up too much concentration.

After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a few minutes, an authoritative voice cut through the babble of the crowd.

“Alright, break it up there, break it up!”

Tonks had returned, but she seemed to have grown.  She now had at least several inches on Harry and was forcing her way between people.

“Come on, move along, Auror business!” she barked.  The crowd was reluctant to disperse but clearly too afraid of this imposing woman to disobey.  Slowly, they went back to their business, casting frequent glances back at Harry.

Tonks pulled Harry to the cover of a nearby awning, away from the prying eyes of passerby.  She shrank back down to a more typical size, her hair returning to her favorite pink.

“What was all that about?” Harry demanded furiously once they were under cover.

“I needed a distraction,” Tonks said easily.

“A distraction?” Harry repeated, trying to keep his temper in check. “And you couldn’t think of anything else?  We could have set a bin on fire or something.”

“Oh please,” Tonks snorted. “That wouldn’t get half as much attention as the Chosen One popping up in Diagon Alley.”

Harry reluctantly allowed that, but he was still cross.  He hated being mobbed like that. “What did you need a distraction for anyway?”

“This,” she said, reaching down and grabbing a cage he hadn’t noticed lying against the alley wall.  She held it up triumphantly for his inspection.  It appeared at first glance to be an ordinary salamander, but the longer he looked at it, the more it seemed off.  It took him a while to realize it had far too many legs and was about twice the size of a normal salamander.

“That bloke in the pet shop is crossbreeding different creatures illegally,” Tonks explained, looking pleased with herself. “This fellow is part salamander, part acromantula, as best I can tell.”

Harry looked at her sharply. “He could get up to ten years in Azkaban for something like that.”

“That’s right,” Tonks said. “I’ve been keeping an eye on him for a while, but I needed solid proof to bring back to Kingsley before I can get an arrest order.  That little distraction was the perfect opportunity to look around his shop without him hovering.”

“Why not just tell me that?” Harry asked, starting to feel angry again. “I was expecting a flock of dementors to attack us or something.”

Tonks sighed, her expression growing serious, and lowered the cage. “Because I need you to trust me, Harry.”

“I do trust you,” he objected.

“Really?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “I was gone for about five minutes.  How many times did you think about making a run for it?”

“Not that many,” Harry said defensively. “Besides, I couldn’t have done with all those people around, not without hurting someone.”

“So, you didn’t stay because I said it was important?” she said.

“No, I remembered that too,” he said, feeling more and more off balance. “But I still don’t understand why you couldn’t have just said that’s what we were doing.”

“Because trust shouldn’t be conditional, Harry,” she said earnestly. “If you trust someone, you can’t be looking for ways that they might let you down.”

“Is that what you think?” Harry said quietly, “That I’m expecting people to let me down.”

Tonks’s expression softened. “No Harry, but I think you’re so used to everyone relying on _you_ that you don’t know how to rely on other people.  Besides Ron and Hermione,” she added as he opened his mouth to object.

“The thing is, when you’re an Auror there’s not always going to be time to explain an order,” she went on. “Sometimes, one of us is going to tell you to do something, and we need to know that you trust our judgment enough to do it without playing twenty questions.  You’ve got to believe that we know what we’re doing too.”

Harry could see her point, but he was still feeling somewhat resentful.  Some of that must have showed on his face, because Tonks sighed.

“Look, were there ever times when you needed someone in the D.A. to do something quickly, without an explanation?”

“Sure,” Harry said. “Loads of times.”

“Well it’s no different being an Auror,” she explained. “Except that right now, you’re not the one giving the orders.  Do you think you can get used to that?”

Reluctantly, he nodded.

“Good,” Tonks said.  Then, unexpectedly, her face broke into a broad grin. “Plus, the look on your face was really hilarious!”

He scowled at her, but she just continued to grin. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go shake down Borgin before we head back.”

“Has he done something else?” Harry asked suspiciously.  Borgin had managed to avoid charges for aiding Draco Malfoy, arguing that his life had been threatened, but the Ministry had still confiscated an array of Dark items from his shop.

“Not that I know of,” Tonks said. “It’s just fun to scare him once in a while.”

Chuckling in spite of himself, Harry followed Tonks to Knocturn Alley.

 

They returned to Diagon Alley later that day, having receive permission to arrest the owner of the pet shop, who, despite the seriousness of the situation, seemed thrilled that Harry Potter was the one taking him into custody.

The remainder of the day was spent on paperwork, Harry’s least favorite part of being an Auror.  Sometime around four, Ron wandered by.

“Heard about the arrest,” he said. “Nice one.”

“Thanks,” said Harry, glad for a reprieve from the tedium of writing reports.

“Did that bloke really cross a salamander and a spider?” Ron asked.

“Yeah he did.  Weirdest thing I’ve ever seen,” Harry said, grinning. “Do you want to see it?  It’s still in lock up.”

Ron shuddered. “Not a chance.”

Harry laughed.

“So how’s it going with Tonks?” Ron inquired.

“Weird,” Harry answered honestly after a moment of reflection. “Not really what I expected.  She keeps playing these little tricks on me.”

“Well it’s Tonks,” Ron said with a shrug. “She’s not exactly…well normal, is she?”

“No, she’s not,” Harry agreed. “But I guess it’s not too bad.”

“Any idea when you’ll be back with the rest of the group?”

“None whatsoever,” Harry said glumly. “I get the feeling we’re going to keep up with this until she decides otherwise.”

“If it makes you feel better, we don’t like not having you there,” Ron said. “We were thinking about saying something to Kingsley if it keeps up.”

Harry was touched by this, but some of the things Tonks had been saying to him were nagging at the back of his mind.

“Do I not trust people?” he blurted out before he could stop himself.

Ron looked perplexed by the sudden question. “What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing,” Harry muttered, already wishing he hadn’t said anything. “Just something Tonks mentioned

“What’d she say?”

Harry hesitated, unsure what all he wanted to reveal to Ron.  Eventually he decided Ron deserved an honest answer. “She reckons I’m so used to being in charge I don’t trust anyone else’s judgement anymore.”

Uncharacteristically, Ron took his time responding. “I mean, she’s sort of right.  But there’s a lot of reasons for that,” he hastened to add. “Half the time we couldn’t rely on anyone else.  No one was doing anything about the Philosopher’s Stone, or the basilisk, or the Horcruxes, were they?  You were the only one trying to stop any of that.”

“That’s true I suppose,” Harry said, feeling a bit better. “But things are different now, aren’t they?  I mean, with Kingsley as Minister.”

“Hard to say.  It’s only been a year and half.  Can’t really judge off of that,” Ron said.

Harry pondered that for a moment.  Ron was right, but so far Kingsley’s Ministry had been much better than the old one.  And some of the things Tonks had said were hitting a little too close to home for his comfort.

“Hold off a bit before you say anything to Kingsley,” he told Ron. “I want to let this play out for a while.”

“If you say so,” Ron allowed, still looking dubious.  He got up to leave. “Don’t forget, dinner tomorrow at the Burrow.”

“I’ll be there,” Harry promised, turning back to his report.

 

They stayed at the Ministry the next day, but that didn’t make it any less unusual.

“How many of the other Departments have you visited since you started here?” Tonks asked when she showed up in the morning.

“Not many,” Harry admitted. “A lot of the creature seminars were held on level 4.”

“We’re gonna fix that today,” Tonks said briskly. “You never know when you might need specialized help to solve a case.  Come on.”

And so, Harry spent the rest of the day wandering the floors of the Ministry, meeting Tonks’s various acquaintances and contacts.  As they went, Tonks related different stories of times that she had caught Dark wizards in unusual ways.

One time she had identified the hideout of a wizard trafficking in illegal potions because he carelessly hooked up his fire to the Floo Network to make distribution easier.  Another time she’d prevented a crazed fan from killing one of the Montrose Magpies by coordinating with the Department of Magical Games and Sports ticketing office.  She had even liaised with foreign Aurors through the Department of International Magical Cooperation to identify a Dark wizard that had fled to Britain.

The various Ministry workers she introduced Harry to were by turns quiet, gregarious, assertive, and timid, but to a one they were all proud to have worked with Tonks on her cases, and assured Harry they would be happy to assist him as well if he ever needed.

By far the strangest visit was to the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee, who Harry learned were responsible for creating plausible explanations of magical events for Muggles.

The little witch they met practically bounced up and down upon meeting Harry, but not for the reasons he expected.

“It’s Harry Potter!” the little witch, whose name was Ethel, kept saying. “Simon, come see, it’s Harry!”

It transpired that little Ethel had been responsible for devising excuses for a number of Harry’s less successful excursions into the Muggle world.

“There was the time you flew that car over London!” she said excitedly. “You took the steeple off a church!  We had a job figuring out that one.  What did we say, Simon?  Weather balloon?  Muggles always buy the weather balloon story.

“And then the dragon!” she went on, the thrilled look on her face rising, “There was so much rubble all over Charing Cross we had to fake a construction accident!”

Tonks eventually extracted Harry, but not before Ethel had gotten a promise from him that if he ever destroyed another Muggle street, he would help them come up with the excuse.

Harry was a little shell shocked after that.  Tonks kept giggling at him as they returned to the second floor.

“Are they always like that?” he asked.

“Not all the time, but mostly,” she admitted. “Unless it’s something really serious.”

“So what’s next, Department of Mysteries?” They had visited pretty much everywhere else, but Tonks shook her head.

“We’re not allowed unless there’s some kind of emergency,” she explained.

“Really?” he said, interestedly. “Have you ever been in, aside from…”

“Only one other time,” she said, imitating his casual tone. “They thought someone was breaking in.  The second they realized it was just a mouse they kicked us all straight out.”

“I hope you at least checked the mouse,” Harry remarked, thinking of Wormtail.

“Trust me, we put that little guy through the ringer,” she said. “Just a mouse.”

“Well it’s a shame,” Harry said. “I would’ve liked to see some of those rooms again.”

“It probably wouldn’t be such a good idea anyway,” Tonks said delicately.  When Harry looked at her inquiringly she elaborated. “You broke a lot of stuff when you all went charging in there.  From what I hear, the Unspeakables kind of don’t like you.”

Harry hadn’t ever thought about it, but they had done a good bit of damage to the place. “I guess I can’t blame them,” he said fairly. “So, is that it then?”

“Not quite, we’ve still got one more thing to go over,” she said.  But she wouldn’t go into any detail when Harry pressed her.

They returned to the second floor and Tonks led them to one of the little conference rooms they used for interrogations and confidential meetings.  She left him in the room for a minute before returning with a large, unmarked leather book.

“What’s this?” Harry asked warily when she handed it to him.  Her expression was unusually serious.

“It’s your file,” she said.

“My what?” Harry said in surprise before flipping open the front cover.  His name was written in blocky letters across the first page. “You all kept a file on me?”

“Not like a criminal file,” Tonks explained. “We just kept an eye on you, to keep you safe you know.”

“Dumbledore never mentioned this,” Harry said absently, beginning to browse through the pages.

“I don’t think he knew for a long time,” Tonks said. “The Aurors didn’t realize he’d put up his own protections around you, so they never thought to coordinate with him.”

Harry skimmed the first few entries.  They were all dated in the early 1980s. “The Aurors were watching me when I was with the Dursleys?” he exclaimed. “Why?”

“No one really understood what happened to You-Know-Who,” Tonks said. “The Ministry was worried he might come back.  They wanted to make sure you were protected in case him or a Death Eater tried to finish you off.”

Harry marveled at the log.  It appeared the regular surveillance entries went on until he was five.  After that, there were twice a year observations, apparently just to check up on him.  The knowledge that the Aurors had been watching out for him, even that far back was oddly comforting.

The entries became more scarce when he started Hogwarts, where presumably the Office thought he was plenty safe, then abruptly stopped at the end of his fourth year.

“Why’d they stop?” Harry asked Tonks.

“After you came out of the maze, Fudge ordered the Office to end surveillance,” Tonks said. “I was here by that point.  Scrimgeour was furious.”

That surprised Harry almost as much as learning that he’d been monitored at all. “I never got the impression he liked me very much.”

Tonks shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t but he thought it was his job to help keep you safe.  He was livid when the dementors attacked you.  He tried to put together an investigation to support you, but Fudge wouldn’t let him.”

Harry didn’t know how to process this information.  To say he and Scrimgeour had not gotten along would be an understatement, and to learn that the man had done so much for him was difficult to absorb.  Instead he turned back to the log.  The entries picked back up at the start of his sixth year, this time with a familiar signature.

“You were keeping an eye on me?” he said to Tonks.

She nodded. “The whole year.  Making sure nothing happened to you.”

“I knew you were assigned to Hogsmeade, but I thought it was to protect the whole castle,” he said.

“Nope.  You, specifically.” She smiled a bit. “Aside from you trying to strangle Mundungus it was a boring year.”

Harry set the book down.  His mind was buzzing, putting these revelations together with others from the last few days.

“You didn’t stop following me after that year, did you?” he guessed.  Tonks shook her head solemnly. “How much did you find?”

“A bit,” she said. “After you left Grimmauld Place we lost track of you.  I managed to find a couple of your campsites, but only after you’d left.  We saw what happened at Godric’s Hollow and the Lovegood place.  Managed to sneak into Gringotts for a bit during all the confusion too.”

“Why go through all that?” he asked. “You were being hunted too, why risk it?”

“Because we cared about you, Harry,” she said simply. “It mattered to us what happened to you.  And we wanted to help.”

Harry thought back to those months on the run, uncertain, hungry, and struggling.  Those had been unhappy, lonely times.

“Help would have been nice,” he allowed.

“I was always curious why you three went off on your own,” Tonks said.  The question was implicit, but Harry could tell she wouldn’t push if he didn’t want to say anything.  However, he found he wanted to share this with someone.

“Dumbledore told us to keep the Horcruxes secret,” he said. “He didn’t want to risk anyone else finding out about them and it getting back to Voldemort somehow.”

“I thought it might be something like that,” Tonks said, wincing at the sound of Voldemort’s name. “He always played things close to the vest.”

“Yes he did,” Harry muttered, thinking of all the things Dumbledore had kept from him.

They sat in silence for a while, Harry lost in his thoughts.  Eventually Tonks reached across the table and laid a hand on his arm.

“I hope you know, Harry, I haven’t just been messing with you this week.  I mean,” she amended, “it is fun to mess with you just a bit.” Harry smiled a little. “But that wasn’t the point.  I’m trying to show you that you’re not on your own anymore.  You have people you can rely on to help you now.”

Harry thought about their excursions, and the odd lessons Tonks had been trying to impart.  A strange warmth spread through him.  He put a hand over Tonks’s.

“Thanks,” he said. 

She smiled at him. “Next week, fewer pranks,” she promised before extracting her hand and standing. “Have a good weekend Harry.”

“You too,” he said, watching her leave the room.

 

Harry arrived at the Burrow that evening in unusually high spirits.  He didn’t quite understand it, but his time with Tonks had been strangely uplifting, and he was looking forward to a good meal with the Weasleys.

Mrs. Weasley greeted him with an enormous hug. “How are you, Harry dear?” she exclaimed, pulling back to look him up and down. “I swear you’re looking thinner every time I see you.  Are you sure you’re eating enough?”

He smiled. “Trying my best Mrs. Weasley.”

“You should come over for dinner more,” she said. 

“He’s fine Molly, give him some space,” Mr. Weasley said with a grin, coming over to shake Harry’s hand. “How are you, Harry?”

“Good, Mr. Weasley, how about you?”

“Can’t complain,” he said, “Although I hope Kingsley will let me go back to the old office soon.”

There was a long, beleaguered sigh from Mrs. Weasley, who had long wished that her husband would demonstrate a little more ambition.

Harry stepped further into the Weasley’s kitchen.  Bill, Fleur, Percy, and George, were already there.  He exchanged hugs and handshakes with most everyone.  George waved and gave a smile that looked strained.

“Hermione and Ron not here yet?” he asked, taking a seat across from Bill.

“No, but they both work so hard,” Mrs. Weasley called from over by the stove, “Especially Hermione.  Ron says she’s hardly ever home on time, that’s why they’re always late everywhere.”

George caught Harry’s eye and this time they shared a real grin, knowing the actual reason the two were never on time anymore.  The grin faded far too quickly from George’s face however, and he returned to staring at the far wall.

“So, Harry, how are you liking the Auror Office?” Bill asked.

“It’s not bad,” Harry said, trying to keep his voice neutral. “It’s still pretty busy these days; we’re not fully staffed yet.”

“I heard you all brought in Avery and Jugson this week,” Mr. Weasley said, taking a seat next to Harry.

“Yeah we did,” Harry nodded, avoiding his gaze.

“Nicely done,” George said softly, but with fire in his eyes.  The subject of loose Death Eaters was one of the only things that got much of a response out of George these days.

“Isn’t it a bit dangerous for Auror recruits to go after Death Eaters?” Mrs. Weasley asked fretfully.  Harry managed to avoid rolling his eyes with some difficulty.  Her entire family plus Harry had faced far worse than a couple Death Eaters, but she still fretted over them.  Then again, he thought, glancing at George, she did have her reasons.

Luckily, he was spared having to respond by the arrival of Hermione and Ron.  A fresh round of greetings ensued, and Harry was able to avoid further questions about the Auror Office for a bit.  He hugged Hermione enthusiastically, not having seen her in a while.

“Ron told me about them taking you out of the group,” she said under cover of the Weasley’s conversations, “Harry, I’m really sorry.”

Harry shrugged, trying to appear casual. “It’s okay.  Working with Tonks hasn’t been that bad actually.”

 “At least you got paired with her,” Hermione said. “She’s always been really nice to us.”

Harry smiled, thinking she didn’t know the half of it.  He resolved to find some time in more private settings to let Hermione and Ron know just how closely Tonks had been watching over them the last few years.

Dinner was a pleasant affair, with Mrs. Weasley’s excellent cooking putting any of Harry’s lingering stresses out of his mind.  Ginny couldn’t make it, being too busy with Quidditch to attend, and the absence of Fred hung over the gathering no matter how loudly they laughed.  But it was familiar and comforting.

Ron proved a much more engaging Auror than Harry.  He carried the group through a riveting recounting of their assault on Avery and Jugson’s castle.

“So we look left,” he was saying, miming for effect. “And we hear this little snick, and this tiny sheet of light comes flying out of the wall, straight at Neville’s head!”

The assembled Weasley’s were hanging on every word.  Harry found himself wondering when Ron had become such an adept storyteller.

“It was a Beheading Jinx, and we hadn’t caught it at all,” Ron said. “And Neville’s just looking at it, cuz he knows he’s a goner.  But Harry came out of nowhere and tackled Neville out of the way right before it takes his head off!”

A collective gasp went up around the table.

“Is he alright?” George asked, surprising Harry with his concern.

“He’s fine,” Ron said, waving hand. “Although, he needed a buzz cut after to even out his hair.  The charm took a couple inches off the top.” He mimed holding his hair flat against his head and the table roared with laughter.

Ron finished the account of how they’d navigated the Death Eaters’ jinxes and taken them by surprise.

“End of the day, Azkaban has two more occupied cells, and those five Muggles went home, no memory of any of it,” he concluded.

Bill and George offered mock applause and Ron stood up to take a bow, to more laughter.

“Of course, it really shouldn’t have been just the four of you on that mission,” Percy said once the noise had died down. “According to Ministry procedures, any operation that involves a Death Eater should include at least two senior Aurors.”

“Oh shut it, Perce,” Ron said without any real venom. “We made it out okay, didn’t we?”

“You can’t rely on luck every time,” Percy said.  His normal seriousness was laid over a tone of genuine concern.

“It was just two Death Eaters,” Ron protested. “Harry knew what he was doing, right Harry?”

The attention at the table turned to Harry.  He was loathe to enter the conversation, but with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley staring at him he didn’t want to make it seem like he didn’t care about risking yet another of their children’s lives.

“Percy’s right,” he said quietly. “We probably should have waited for back up on that one.”

“Thank you, Harry,” Percy said, looking gratified, and bit surprised by Harry’s support.

“Oh come on,” Ron said, but his objections were half-hearted.  He gave Harry an appraising sort of look but quickly turned back to the conversation.

Hermione on the other hand, continued to look at Harry, a small frown creasing her forehead.  Harry avoided her gaze, pretending to pay attention to Bill’s discussions of the ongoing Gringotts repairs.

Sitting here in the Weasley’s kitchen brought home some of what Tonks had said in ways that Harry hadn’t considered before.  He, Ron, and Hermione had spent so many years risking their lives out of necessity it had become second nature to them now.  But Tonks was right, he didn’t need to throw himself at every crisis that came along.  The fact that others were so willing to follow him made it even more imperative that he consider his actions carefully these days.

His musings were interrupted by a sudden banging at the kitchen door.  Everyone looked around to see a small figure with long red hair, wrapped in a traveling cloak squeeze her way into the kitchen.

“Hey everyone,” Ginny Weasley said with a broad grin. “Surprise!”

There was a massive clamour as everyone jumped up to greet the youngest Weasley.  Ginny soon disappeared in a mass of red-haired figures.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?” Mrs. Weasley demanded through sudden tears.

“Didn’t know I’d be able to make it,” Ginny said, embracing her mum. “I only barely managed to convince Gwenog to give me the night off.  I don’t suppose you all have any food left?”

Mrs. Weasley bustled off to fix Ginny a plate, leaving Harry face to face with his ex-girlfriend.

The fierce intensity of the beginning of their relationship had only been matched by how quickly that spark had faded following the war.  They had attempted to rekindle their romance after Voldemort’s death, but too many things stood in the way.  Harry had not returned to Hogwarts to complete his seventh year, which meant they were forced to carry on a long distance relationship for almost a year, seeing each other only on Hogsmeade weekends and breaks.  Then, immediately after she graduated, Ginny had been offered a spot as a Chaser with the Holyhead Harpies, a position that entailed a great deal of travel and training.  They had attempted to keep things going, but faced with the prospect of yet more long distance, they had made the mutual decision that it simply wasn’t working.

Ultimately, they had left it on good terms, but they hadn’t seen each other in months now.  Harry was struck by the fear that Ginny might have developed bitterness towards him in that time.

To his relief she smiled warmly and gave him a quick hug.

“How have you been?” she asked, seeming sincerely interested.

“Good,” he said briefly, returning her smile. “Congratulations on winning the game last week!”

“It wasn’t just me,” she said with a dismissive wave.

“Thirteen out of the sixteen goals on your side, sounds like you did pretty well,” Harry said with a grin.

“Well I had a good coach,” she said, giving him a light tap on the arm.

Soon Ginny was seated with a plate, answering questions about the Harpies in between bites.  It was as good a night as Harry could remember.  One made even better a few moments later when Bill stood up.

“Everyone, we have something to tell you all” he said, indicating Fleur and himself, “and with Ginny here this seems like as good a time as any.”  He took a deep breath and Harry was surprised to see tears sparkling in his eyes. “Fleur is pregnant.”

Stunned silence met this announcement.  Every Weasley around the table gaped at Bill, completely at a loss for words.  Hermione was the first to recover.

“You mean, you two…?”

“We are going to ‘ave a baby!” Fleur finished with a radiant smile.

Mrs. Weasley shrieked and rushed around the table to pull the two into a bone crushing hug.  Shouts and squeals of delight arose all around the table.  Everyone hurried to congratulate the couple.  George was openly crying as he hugged Bill.  Harry sat there, stunned for a long minute before he got his wits back enough to shake Bill’s hand.

“This calls for a celebration!” Mr. Weasley declared. “Molly, do we still have a bottle of wine?”

There was a scramble to clear the table and track down the appropriate drink to toast this news.  Harry helped carry dishes to the sink, still feeling surprised.  Bill and Fleur would be the first of the Weasley children to have a baby of their own.  It was wonderful and incredible, and Harry had trouble wrapping his head around the idea.

He found himself next to Ginny as they set the dishes to clean themselves.  She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling.

“Wasn’t expecting that,” she said, motioning to Bill and Fleur.

Harry shook his head emphatically, and they watched the frantic bustling for a minute.  Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were having a disagreement over where they’d put the Firewhisky.

“How are you really doing, Harry?” Ginny asked after a bit.

“What do you mean?” he asked, taken off guard. “I’m doing fine.”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Just because we’re not together anymore doesn’t mean I don’t still know when you’re lying.  What’s going on?”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Auror training hasn’t been…the greatest thing in the world.”

Ginny nodded sympathetically. “I never really understood why you wanted to be an Auror.”

“I’m aware,” he said shortly, remembering the numerous arguments they’d had on the subject.

“Well doesn’t it seem like I had a point?” she pressed. “If you’re not happy there, why are you keeping on with it?”

“Ginny…”

“No, listen for a sec, okay?” she implored. “The Tornadoes have an opening for a Seeker, why don’t you think about trying out for it?  I’m sure I could get Gwenog to put in a good word for you.”

“I haven’t hardly been on a broom in three years,” Harry protested. “I doubt I’d be that good.”

“Oh come on Harry,” Ginny said, “You were the best Seeker Hogwarts has seen in decades, you’d be fine.”

Harry didn’t say anything.

“Why are you so loyal to that place?” Ginny went on, frustration leaking into her voice. “Haven’t you had enough of Dark wizards and Death Eaters?  Don’t you want to enjoy yourself for once?”

“Of course I do, Gin,” he burst out. “But it’s not that easy.  There’s more to it than just having fun or not.”

“Then what?” she demanded. “Do you think killing You-Know-Who wasn’t enough, you have to do more?”

“No, I just – Gin haven’t we been over this enough?” He didn’t have the energy to argue with her, and if he was being honest, he wasn’t sure he disagreed with her.

“I suppose we have,” she said, deflating a little. “Will you at least think it over a bit?”

He nodded and she smiled again, giving his arm a squeeze before going to join the rest of the Weasleys.  They had finally located a few bottles of wine and some Firewhisky to toast Bill and Fleur’s pregnancy.  Harry hitched a smile on his face and followed her, accepting a glass from Ron.

“To Bill and Fleur!” Mr. Weasley said. 

Harry drained his glass in one.  Mr. Weasley began refilling, and Harry could tell that it would be a long night.  He found he no longer had the energy to keep up appearances and leaned over to Hermione.

“I need to get out of here, can you make up an excuse for me?”

“Of course, Harry,” she said, looking at him in surprise. “Is everything alright?”

He didn’t have it in him to lie to her, not tonight. “No, not really.  I just need some time to myself.”

“Alright,” she said. “But come over soon so we can talk.”

“I will,” he promised.

Under cover of a fresh toast he sidled out of the kitchen and snuck through the door.  Once in the cool October air, he Disapparated.

 

A couple hours later Harry found himself sitting in the Hogs Head.  It was an admittedly odd choice of locations, given that everything was filthy and the drinks were suspect at best.  But it was hardly ever crowded like the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks, and the patrons weren’t the sort that would give Harry trouble anyway.  Aberforth didn’t try to engage Harry in conversation.  For the mood Harry was in, it was perfect.

He was on his third glass of Firewhisky when someone sat down next to him at the bar.  He looked around in confusion.  At the Hog’s Head, sitting next to someone was usually either an invitation to engage in some illegal trade, or a provocation to a duel.  Sometimes both.

But the figure next to him hardly fit the usual profile of the Hog’s Head.  Even swathed in a dark cloak, with her hair tamed down, Harry recognized Tonks.

“Wotcher, Harry,” she said, albeit without her usual smile.

“Still following me?” he muttered, taking another drink of his whisky.

“Hermione sent me a message,” Tonks said. “She was worried about you.”

Harry grunted.  He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised by this. “How’d you find me?”

“It was this or a Muggle bar,” she said. “But you don’t strike me as a Muggle bar type of guy.”

He definitely wasn’t at that, but he didn’t say so.  He was finding it irritating how easily Tonks could read him.

“So, what’s going on?” she said, leaning against the bar to look at him.

He didn’t respond.  He wasn’t sure where he’d begin, even if he was inclined to open up.

“For goodness sake, Harry!” she barked when he didn’t say anything.  She snatched his glass away from him and knocked it back, grimacing as she slammed the tumbler down on the bar. “Remember we were talking about trust?  Well this is part of it.  Tell me what the hell’s really bothering you?”

Harry debated just telling her to shove off, but he found he didn’t really want her to leave.  What could it hurt to talk about what was going on in his head?  The worst that could happen was she’d get Kingsley to kick him out of the Aurors and at the moment he wasn’t convinced that was a bad thing.

“I’m not sure I should be an Auror,” he admitted.  He half expected her to balk or dismiss his uncertainty, but she didn’t.  She just continued to look at him steadily.

“Why not?”

“Because…” He struggled to put his feelings into words. “Because it feels off.  It’s just not working like I thought it would.”

“What did you think it’d be like?” she asked.

“I dunno.  Different I suppose.” He pondered his feelings for a moment. “I guess I thought I’d be happier doing this.”

“But you’re not right now?”

He shook his head and sighed. “Ginny thinks I should go out for a Quidditch team instead,” he told Tonks. “She reckons I’ve done enough and I should just enjoy myself now.”

“Do you want to go play Quidditch instead?” Tonks asked frankly.

Harry thought about it; seriously imagined what it would be like to walk away from the Auror Office to go play for the Tornados.  The possibility held no appeal to him.

“No,” he admitted. “I really don’t.  It’s like, the version of me that used to love Quidditch was before.  Before the war, before Dumbledore died, before all of it.  Afterwards, it just didn’t seem that important.  Not to me at least.  Ginny still loves it, and she doesn’t get why I don’t anymore.”

“Is that why you two split up?” Tonks speculated.

“Maybe,” Harry shrugged. “It was a lot of things I think.”

“Well you don’t have to just do Quidditch,” Tonks suggested. “There’s plenty of other things you could do besides being an Auror.”

“You sound like you’re trying to get rid of me,” Harry said, half-jokingly, but Tonks took the comment seriously.

“Harry, if you want to be an Auror then I’m going to make damned sure you’re a good one,” she said intensely. “But I’ll be honest, I need the bloke watching my back to want to be there.  Otherwise it’s just a distraction.  I need to trust you too.”

Harry didn’t know what to say to that.  Tonks leaned closer, her voice softening.

“After the war, you could have done anything, Harry.  There’s not a Department at the Ministry that wouldn’t love to have you work for them.  Hell, you didn’t even have to work, you could have written a book like Lockhart and just paraded around.  Why’d you choose the Aurors?”

Harry could have told her it was because that’s all he’d ever thought about being, but that wasn’t true.  The war had shaken everything up so thoroughly that old preferences hardly counted anymore.  All of them had had to do some soul searching afterwards.

“I guess I realized,” Harry said slowly, “that Voldemort and the Death Eaters weren’t the only bad things out there.  Even with him gone, I knew there’d be others like him.  I felt like, with all I’d learned, it would be selfish not to do something to help.”

“Do you still feel that way?” The intensity of her gaze left no room for lies or equivocations.

“Yeah,” he said, realizing the truth of it as he did.  He sat up straighter, not realizing how much he’d been hunched over. “Yeah I do.  This is what I want.”

“Now I’m not saying it’ll be easy,” Tonks cautioned him. “You’ve got a lot of instincts and habits that kept you alive when you were a kid, but this will be different.  I really think this can be a great place for you, but it’s going to take some work to get there.  Are you prepared for that?”

Harry looked her in the eye, for the first time understanding fully what she’d been trying to get across these last few days. “Yes, I am,” he said, and meant it.

For the first time since sitting down, Tonks’s face broke into a bright smile.  She threw back her hood and her hair resumed its vibrant pink. 

“Then let’s get started,” she said. “How many drinks have you had?”

The question brought Harry up short. “Three,” he said nervously.

“Then I’m got some catching up to do,” she said, waving a hand at Aberforth. “I’m not going to be the only sober person in this bar,” she added in response to Harry’s confused look.

Harry couldn’t help laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a little longer than a week to get posted. I'll try to be a bit quicker next time.


	3. Two Lunches and an Abduction

“I thought you said you were gonna stop messing with me,” Harry said as Tonks tied a dark black cloth around his eyes.

“Did I say that?” Harry could hear the wicked grin in Tonks’s reply. “Huh, I must have been lying through my teeth.”

“I should have guessed,” he said with rueful smile. “Remind me what the point of this is?”

“I told you, we’re building up your trust,” she said, but a badly suppressed giggle undermined her statement.  Ron snickering in the background just underscored the point.

“I got that part,” Harry said dryly. “Mind explaining how this is supposed to help?”

“You have to trust me to defend you, because you can’t see,” she explained, sounding a bit more serious. “And you have to exercise some self-control because you still have your wand.”

“In what possible scenario would I be blind in combat, but still have my wand?” Harry demanded.

“Second mission I ever went on with Mad-Eye,” Tonks responded immediately, “we came through the door and the guy we were looking for hit me with a Conjunctivitis Curse.  I had to just sit there while Mad-Eye fought him.”

“Oh…well, okay then,” Harry said, not expecting her to have an example ready.

 A pair of hands clasped his shoulders, and Tonks’s tone lost its joviality. “Honestly, Harry, you never know when you might have to rely on someone else to keep you safe.  I know you’re used to protecting everyone around you, but this is important too.”

Harry nodded, reminding himself that he’d agreed to this.

“Good,” she said briskly. “Ready, Ron?”

“Ready,” he said.  For the purpose of this little exercise, Tonks had enlisted Harry’s best friend to act as their fake opponent.

For the next five minutes, Harry listened to spells flying around him while Ron did his best to get around Tonks and jinx Harry.  Despite that fact that he knew Tonks was an excellent duelist, and Ron wouldn’t really try to hurt him anyway, the urge to tear off his blindfold and join in the fight was almost overwhelming.  Particularly when Tonks missed a Stinging Hex that hit Harry on the arm.

Eventually he heard Tonk’s shout out a triumphant, “Hah!” and the sounds of dueling ended.  Deciding it was safe to look now, Harry tentatively lifted up the blindfold.  Tonks was holding Ron’s wand, clearing having disarmed him, and both were breathing heavily and sweating from exertion.

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” Tonks beamed at Harry.

“You missed one,” Harry said, examining his arm.

“I let that one go on purpose,” she said easily.  Harry raised an eyebrow at her. “I knew it wasn’t anything lethal, so I didn’t try to stop it.  Gave me the opening to disarm him.”

“Good to know,” Harry said, passing his wand over the welt Ron’s spell had raised and causing it to vanish.

Tonks tossed Ron’s wand back to him and marched over to the bench along the wall of the dueling room.  She grabbed a towel and wiped her forehead. “Well I think that went really well.  I didn’t expect you to restrain yourself on the first go.”

“Do I get a prize?” Harry quipped.

“We’ve got the trophy in your cubicle,” Ron said with a smirk.

“Your prize is lunch,” Tonks said, tossing the towel away. “You coming, Ron?”

“Can’t, I’m meeting Hermione,” Ron said easily. “Have fun.”

“He must be excited now that she’s finally done with school,” Tonks observed as Ron left the training room.

“I’m surprised either of them come into work at all,” Harry remarked.

Tonks laughed. “They’re at that stage of the relationship, are they?”

“It’s a bit tough to be around them these days.” Harry said.  He thought he’d kept his tone light, but Tonks glanced at him.

“It’s normal for couples to get a bit, well absorbed,” she pointed out. “They’ll be back to usual before long.”

Harry shook his head ruefully. “Do you ever miss anything?”

She smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I don’t mean to pry.  You’re just...not that hard to read.  You kind of wear your heart on your sleeve.”

“You’re not the first one to say that,” Harry said, thinking about similar remarks Snape had made to him.  The comparison wasn’t exactly a pleasant one.

“It’s not a bad thing,” Tonks said quickly.  He looked at her skeptically. “Honestly, it’s not.  I reckon that’s how you got so many people to follow you during the war.  No one wants a leader who keeps every little thing he feels to himself.”

“If you say so” he said, not especially convinced.

“I do,” she said firmly. “And I’m the senior Auror here, so what I say goes, got it.”

He grinned. “Yes ma’am.”

They made their way down to the Ministry of Magic commissary off the Atrium for lunch.  It was a large room, not unlike the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but instead of four long tables there were many smaller, mismatched ones scattered throughout the room, ranging in size from cozy little two-person nooks to conference table sized benches for groups.  The food wasn’t up to Hogwarts standards, but it was still reasonably good.  As with the Yule Ball celebration in Harry’s fourth year, small menus were placed beside each plate, displaying that day’s options.  The diner simply made their request to the plate, and it appeared.

Harry just got steak and kidney pie, but Tonks ordered roast beef, pork chops, boiled potatoes, and sprouts.  Harry couldn’t help but stare as an amount of food that would make even Ron sick appeared in front of her.  She caught him looking and he was treated to the unusual sight of the normally unflappable Tonks blushing.

“Metamorphosing makes me hungry,” she explained. “Adding and taking away mass requires a lot of energy.”

“How come you do it so much then?” Harry asked before he thought about what he was saying.  Tonks just shrugged.

“I’ve always been able to, I wouldn’t know how to stop,” she said around a bite of roast.

“D’you mind if I ask about your metamorphosing?” Harry inquired.  He’d always been intensely curious about it, but had never felt comfortable enough to bring it up before now.  Tonks shook her head, now digging into a pork chop. “How much are you able to change?”

“Pretty much anything,” she said. “Hair, skin tone, height, weight, gender.”

“Wait, gender?” Harry said, not bothering to hide his surprise.

“Yeah,” she said nonchalantly. “I don’t too it too often though.  Takes a lot of concentration and being a bloke is weird.  Useful for surveillance though.  Men get left alone more than women.”

Harry took a moment to have a bite of food and absorb this new piece of information.

“Did I freak you out?” Tonks asked casually.

“Not really,” Harry answered honestly. “I was just trying to imagine what that’d be like.  You know, Draco Malfoy made a couple of his friends take Polyjuice Potion to look like girls in our sixth year.” Tonks gave him a rather alarmed look. “It wasn’t like that,” he clarified quickly. “He was using the Room of Requirement to work on that Vanishing Cabinet, and he needed lookouts.”

“Why’d he make them turn into girls?” Tonks said, bewildered.

“They were huge blokes,” Harry said. “Pretty conspicuous.  They weren’t real pleased about it.”

Tonks chuckled a bit, now having a go at her sprouts. “Men usually get weirded out by gender swapping.” There was an unspoken question underlying the comment.  There was nothing obvious to indicate it, but Harry thought he could detect a subtle tension in the way she held herself.

Harry shrugged. “It’s all magic, isn’t it?  I saw a guy turn into an armchair once.”

That got a very perplexed look out of Tonks, so Harry told her about Dumbledore taking him to recruit Slughorn, and the rather absurd lengths to which the old Potions Master had gone to avoid visitors.

“I always heard he was off his rocker,” Tonks deadpanned.  Harry let out a laugh, which Tonks joined after a moment.  When they settled back down, Tonks seemed to have relaxed.  Harry guessed he had passed some sort of unspoken test.

“What else were you curious about?” Tonks asked comfortably, returning to her meal.

“Are their limits to how much mass you can add or take away?” he asked.

“Harry, you never ask a lady about her mass!” She admonished him.

“I-I didn’t mean…” Harry spluttered.

Tonks laughed. “I’m just teasing you.  About fifty pounds and six inches in either direction.  After that it starts getting really difficult.”

Harry had a lot more he was curious about, but now he was nervous about stumbling across a sensitive topic.  It had only just occurred to him that this was probably a very personal line of questioning.

Perhaps sensing his nervousness, Tonks smiled reassuringly. “You don’t gotta worry, Harry, I don’t mind talking to you about this.”

“Sorry.  Hermione’s always telling me I need to work on my tact,” Harry said ruefully.

“You’ve always been a perfect gentleman with me,” she said.

It sounded like a throw away compliment, but it brought Harry up short.  He couldn’t remember anyone saying something like that to him.  Even Ginny tended to think he was a bit oblivious.

“We should get back to work,” Tonks said, scooping up the last few bites of her lunch and standing.  She didn’t seem to notice the effect her words had had on Harry.

“Sure thing,” he said, pushing away his plate to follow her.

As they left the commissary, he noticed she was taller today than usual.

 

The next few weeks were some of the strangest Harry could remember, which was saying something, considering the many bizarre things he had experienced over the years.  Tonks hardly resembled the other Aurors Harry had met, and her teaching methods reflected that.

Their days usually began closer to nine than eight, Tonks not being much of a morning person.  Harry learned not to ask too many questions until she’d had a chance to drink at least a few cups of coffee.  Harry typically spent that time in the library, or at workshops, which he still attended with the rest of the Auror recruits. 

By mid-morning Tonks was usually back to her normal, chipper self.  They would then spend a few hours doing reconnaissance, surveillance, or practicing dueling, although frequently with some kind of added component designed to build Harry’s reliance on others.

“How come we never practice regular dueling?” Harry asked after one session where he had only been allowed to cast defensive spells and rely on Tonks for offense.

Tonks gave him an appraising sort of look, as if she couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. “Because you don’t need any help with regular dueling.  One on one you could probably take any Auror in the Ministry.”

“That’s not true,” Harry scoffed. “I mean, maybe I could take a few of them, but I wouldn’t have a chance against you or Kingsley.”

Tonks raised an eyebrow. “If I didn’t know you can’t lie worth a damn I’d say you were joking.  Are you really that thick, Harry?”

“What?” he said defensively. “I’m just being honest.  You’ve all just had a lot more practice than I have, it only makes sense I wouldn’t be as good.”

Tonks gave a sigh that managed to convey a startling array of emotions from frustration to amusement.  The next moment her wand slashed through the air, sending a bewildering volley of spells at Harry.

Nothing about her stance or tone had given Harry reason to expect the sudden attack, yet without conscious thought his wand rose to counter each jinx and curse.  Tonks didn’t let up after the initial barrage, continuing to fire spell after spell at him as she bobbed and wove to avoid his counterspells.

 It took him only a moment to fall into the familiar rhythm of the duel.  There was something comfortable and simple about the flashing of spells and the movement of wands.   There were no tricks, or gimmicks, or rules for him to consider here.  He gave it his all, not expecting to win; Tonks was, after all, an extremely gifted Auror.  He simply enjoyed the familiarity of the fight. 

It therefore took him completely by surprise when, barely a minute into their duel, one of his Disarming Spells slipped past Tonks’s defenses, and he found himself holding her wand.

They stood there for a long minute, Tonks breathing heavily, and Harry trying to figure out exactly what had happened.

“You couldn’t have Stunned me or something and saved my dignity?” Tonks said, somewhat snappishly. “You had to use the simplest spell in the world?”

“I wasn’t try to – I mean, I didn’t,” Harry stammered, staring in surprise at the wand in his left hand. “What just happened?”

She shook her head and marched over to snatch her wand back from him. “You won, Harry.  Is it that hard to believe?”

“I mean, a little,” he said, scared of upsetting her but not wanting to lie.

Tonks took a seat on the bench and leaned against the wall. “You know, Hermione used to tell me you were like this and I never quite believed her.  I’ll have to apologize sometime.”

“I’m sorry,” Harry said, not sure what he had done wrong.  He went to sit next to her.

She looked over at him and sighed. “Don’t be, it’s not really your fault.  You’re just maddeningly humble.”

“Thanks?” he said uncertainly.

“Did you really think you’d lose that one?” she asked.

“It’s not that crazy an idea,” Harry said, starting to get a bit annoyed. “You’ve been doing this since I was twelve!”

“When _you_ were twelve you were fighting You-Know-Who and basilisks!” she retorted.

“Just one,” he protested.

“Oh, well it would have only been impressive if it were two!” she exclaimed mockingly.

“What do basilisks have to do with anything?” Harry felt like the conversation was rapidly slipping away from him.

“You make things look so easy, Harry!” she burst out. “And then you act like they aren’t.  Do you realize that you were the only member of the Order to come out of that fight in the Department of Mysteries without a serious injury?  Mad-Eye, Kingsley, and I all had to spend time in St. Mungo’s, but you barely had a scratch on you.”

“Well they weren’t really trying to hurt me,” Harry said fairly. “I mean, I had the prophecy and they were worried about breaking it.”

Tonks threw up her hands. “And then you go and say something like that, making it sound like it wasn’t a big deal.  And the most irritating thing is, I know you sincerely believe you’re not as good as you are.”

Harry was oscillating between an irrational desire to argue the point and feeling rather flattered. “Look, I know I’m not bad at some of this stuff,” he said, trying to stay reasonable. “But I have a hard time believing I’m as good as you or Kingsley, or even Smith.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Do you think I threw that duel just now?”

“Not at all,” he said, thinking about the fiendishly bizarre set of spells she’d thrown at him.

“So how come you won?”

He knew what she was getting at, but he was reluctant to concede the point. “Luck?” he suggested.

Tonks burst out laughing, which he took as a good sign. “You’re impossible.  Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

As they stood up Harry realized that he was towering over Tonks. “How come you’re so small today?” he asked.

“Helps with dueling,” she said. “A smaller target is harder to hit.”

That made a lot of sense to him.  Harry had started paying attention to Tonks’s appearance a lot more lately.  He’d always noticed her hair given that it was usually rather brightly colored, but now he was taking in smaller details as well.  Sometimes she was tall, almost his height, while other times she was downright petite.

He found he looked forward to seeing her in the morning, never knowing what she would look like that day.  Would she be willowy with short, purple hair, or curvy with long aquamarine locks?

  It also made him intensely curious about something but wasn’t sure how to bring it up.

“Do you mind if I ask you something personal?” he said part way through lunch.  Tonks was always in a better mood when she was fed.

“Depends?” she said, looking at him over an American style hamburger. “What did you wanna know?”

“What do you look like normally?  I mean, without the Metamorphosing?” He held his breath, hoping she wouldn’t take offense at the question.

She looked at him as though it was the first time she’d seen him. “You know, I can’t remember the last time someone asked me that.”

“I’m sorry,” Harry said hastily. “Forget I said anything.”

“No, no, it’s alright,” she said, setting down the burger. “If you’re really curious I can show you.”

Harry nodded.

She closed her eyes in concentration, and her appearance shifted gradually.  He couldn’t judge her height properly sitting down, but she seemed to grow a bit.  She also filled out slightly from the diminutive shape she’d been occupying.  Her hair, which had been her favorite spiky pink, grew out to a curly brown.

When the transformation was complete, she opened her eyes and struck an ironic pose. “Not that glamorous, I know, but there you go.”

Harry took in the details of her natural appearance with intense interest.  Something in particular stood out to him. “You don’t change your face?” Her features appeared as they always had, large almond shaped eyes, a cute button nose, and a wide mouth inclined to amused smirks, all framed by a heart shaped face.

She shook her head. “I always like keeping my face more or less the same.  Changing it feels too much like making myself a different person.”

“But you don’t mind altering everything else,” Harry pointed out.

“That’s because it’s like changing clothes,” she said. “People wear certain blouses to make themselves look skinnier, shoes to be taller, or push up bras to be bustier.  The only difference is I can do it for real.  Why not have fun with it?”

“You tend to wear the same clothes though,” Harry observed.

“Yeah, I’ve never had the patience for clothes shopping.  I’m not used to taking that long to see how I look.”

She focused again and in a moment had resumed her appearance for the day.  Harry wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but she did look a little curvier than before.  He tried not to stare.

“You said people don’t tend to ask you look like?’ Harry said.

“Not that often,” she said, picking her burger back up. “Blokes almost always want me to look like someone else.  Usually some other girl they always wanted to shag.”

“That sounds a little messed up,” Harry said, thinking about how it would feel for someone you were with to want you to look like something else entirely.

Tonks shrugged, not looking up from her food. “There are worse things I suppose.” Her tone was deliberately matter of fact, and Harry wondered how frequently the situation had come up.

“What about other girls, they were never curious?” he said.

She did look up this time, her expression incredulous. “You really don’t know that much about girls, do you, Harry?  The moment most girls find out about my abilities they hate me instantly.”

“Why?” Harry asked, baffled.

“Because there’s a lot of pressure on girls to look a certain way, and it’s usually not very realistic.  A lot of girls have to go through a ton of effort to make themselves look the way they think they should.  Then I come along and it only takes me two seconds to look however I want.  Tends to create some jealousy.”

“Hermione never mentioned anything like that,” Harry muttered, thinking back.

“Well most girls don’t,” Tonks said. “It’s just, kind of there.”

“How come you’re telling me then?” he asked.

“Because you don’t judge or argue or stare too much.  It’s nice.”

“Thanks,” Harry said, feeling that warm glow again.  He turned back to his food, mindful to keep from staring.

“Mind if I ask _you_ something?” Tonks said a minute later.

“It wouldn’t be very fair if I did,” Harry replied.

“How come you don’t date more?”

Whatever Harry might have been expecting, this wasn’t it. “Come again?”

“Well unless you’re a lot better at keeping your mouth shut than most guys, you don’t really go out much,” Tonks elaborated. “And according to Ron and Hermione you never have.”

“I’ve had girlfriends,” Harry said, feeling strangely self-conscious.

“I know, but you could have had a lot more,” Tonks said. “You’re Harry Potter after all, you could have swooning girls hanging off of you every day if you wanted.”

Unbidden, the image of Romilda Vane sprung into Harry’s mind, causing his stomach to go sour. “I never really cared for swooning girls to be honest.”

“Why not?” Tonks asked, her expression oddly intense. “That’d be most guys’ dream.”

“It just never felt right.” Harry struggled to articulate his reasoning. “It’s like, they never wanted me, they just wanted the idea they had of me.  Some famous hero or celebrity, or whatever.  It’s like blokes wanting you to look different, isn’t it?  Wouldn’t you rather have someone who actually wanted you?”

Tonks looked at him a moment longer, her face unreadable. “You’re a good chap, Harry,” she said eventually, and returned to her meal.  The rest of lunch passed in casual conversation, but Harry pondered Tonks’s words for a long time afterwards.

And good chap or no, he did sneak a glance at Tonks as they were leaving the commissary.  Definitely curvier.

 

The next morning, Harry took some time to browse the Muggle newspapers before meeting up with Tonks.  It was a habit he’d gotten into since becoming an Auror, and one that the rest of the Office, especially the purebloods, were inclined to laugh at.  But he remembered Dumbledore connecting the murder of the Riddle’s old gardener to Voldemort’s return and couldn’t help thinking that if more people in the Ministry had paid attention to the Muggle world, maybe the war could have been prevented.  However, in a year and a half he hadn’t come across anything that sound unusual to him; as though wizards were involved.

Until today.

On the very front page of the first paper he grabbed was a massive headline.  A member of the Muggle Parliament’s family had been abducted.  That in itself was not terribly unusual, abductions were unfortunately common in the Muggle world.  What struck Harry as odd, however, were the circumstances of the abduction.  After he had finished browsing the story, he rushed back to the Ministry.

“I think I’ve got something,” he told Tonks a minute later, standing in the door of her cubicle.

Harry wasn’t exactly a neat person, but Tonks made him look like an organizational genius.  Papers and files were strewn all over her office with no apparent method to the chaos.  Tonks herself was nursing what Harry guessed was her first cup of coffee for the morning, and looking distinctly uninterested in human interaction.

“What is it?” she asked, and Harry could hear the strain it took for her to be polite this early.

“An abduction,” he said excitedly, handing her the paper. “Here you go.”

Tonks blinked at the paper, evidently trying to focus on the words.  After a surprisingly long time, she looked back up at him. “This is a Muggle paper, Harry.”

“Yeah, so?”

“You want us to start solving Muggle crimes too?” she said, definitely sounding irritable now.

“No, I don’t think it was a Muggle crime,” Harry explained. “Look at the details of it.”

“Give me the quick version,” Tonks said, handing him back the paper.

“Some Muggle politician had his wife and three kids abducted from his house last night,” Harry said.

“That’s not really shocking,” Tonks said with a yawn. “I doubt Muggle politicians are much more popular than ours.”

“Less actually, but that’s not the point,” Harry continued. “The Muggle police have no idea how they got to them.  Apparently, this bloke has been getting death threats, so he hired security guards to keep an eye on his house.  They didn’t see anyone enter or leave the place last night, but when he got home, his family wasn’t there.  No sign of struggle, no broken windows, nothing.”

That finally perked Tonks’s interest.  She sat up straighter and took the paper back from him. “Any chance they might just have snuck out?”

“The guards were watching every entrance, and none of the cars were gone,” Harry said. “And all their clothes and the kids’ toys were still there.”

“That certainly does sound peculiar,” Tonks mused, reading through the details for herself.

“So we should check it out then?” Harry said.

Tonks still looked uncertain. “I don’t know, Harry.  There could still be a lot of non-magical explanations for something like this.”

“I know,” Harry allowed, “but isn’t it worth making sure?  It’ll be pretty easy to tell if magic was involved.”

Tonks dithered some more, but the eager expression on Harry’s face seemed to convince her. “Alright then, we’ll have a look.  _After_ I’ve woken up,” she added.

They arrived at the dwelling of the Muggle politician several hours later.  Muggle police cars were set up around the block, and as they approached the door, a constable walked up to them.

“I’m sorry folks, but I’ll need you to step back,” he said.

“We’re here to look over the crime scene,” Tonks said, waving her wand in front of the officer’s face.  His eyes went blank and unfocused.

“Of course, right this way ma’am,” he said placidly.

The bewitched officer led them into the house, past several other police officers, and what Harry guessed were forensic examiners.  They got a couple odd looks, but the fact that they had dressed, grudgingly in Tonks’s case, in non-descript Muggle suits, seemed to make most of the occupants of the house think they were detectives of some kind.

“The bedrooms are up here,” the officer said, leading them up a staircase. “Given the hour, we think this might be where they were taken.”

“How do you know when they were abducted?” Tonks asked.

“Mr. Brook spoke to his wife on the phone a little after nine-thirty.  According to him, she usually puts the children to bed around nine.”

“And still no sign of a struggle?”

“Not that we can see.” He pointed out the bedrooms to them.

“You can head back downstairs,” Tonks instructed.  The officer nodded and wandered off, still looking vague and slightly confused. “Let’s keep it fast, I don’t want them paying too much attention to us,” Tonks said to Harry. “You take the master bedroom, I’ll have a look at the kids’ rooms.”

Harry nodded and headed for the large bedroom at the end of the hallway.  It was an ornately decorated room with a large bed and a heavy makeup table in the corner.  Harry took a quick look around, noticing the open perfume containers and rumpled sheets, before beginning to examine the room magically.

He walked slowly through the room, running his wand over every surface he could while muttering a constant stream of incantations as he did so.  The entire room immediately lit up like a Christmas tree.  Magical residue and energy covered everything, but Harry was not experienced enough yet to interpret all the signs. 

Letting his spells fade he hurried from the room to tell Tonks what he’d found, only to run right into her as she came out of one of the children’s bedrooms.  They collided and Tonks started to fall backwards before Harry caught her around the waist and steadied her.

“Thanks,” Tonks said, grabbing Harry’s shoulders to regain her balance. “One of these days I swear I’m going to learn how to walk in a straight line.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Harry laughed.

After a moment Tonks said, “I’m fine now, Harry, you can let go.”

“Sorry.” Harry hastily removed his hands from her waist. feeling his face warm up.

Tonks grinned wickedly at him. “I don’t mind dancing, Harry, just make sure your hands don’t wander too much.”

Harry spluttered, not even vaguely sure what to say.  Before he was even close to formulating a response, Tonks had stepped past him into the master bedroom.

“This one too, huh?” she said, her tone now businesslike. “There’s magic all over the kids’ rooms too.”

“Can you tell what kind?” Harry asked, his face still burning.

“Definitely some Stunners,” Tonks said, looking around with her wand outstretched. “Multiple Apparition points too, if I’m not mistaken.  I gotta give it to you on this one, Harry, this was definitely not a Muggle abduction.”

 “What next?” Harry asked, feeling a strange combination of excitement at having been right, mixed with rising concern for the Muggle family that had been taken.

“We make one more pass, make sure we didn’t miss anything.  Then we get back to the Ministry; Kingsley will want to know about this.”

They took one more look around the bedrooms before making their way back out of the house.  Tonks explained that she didn’t want to disrupt the magical residue in case they had to return again.  On their way out she waved her wand in the direction of each Muggle police officer, muddling their memories so that they wouldn’t remember Harry or Tonks.  Once they had reached the safety of the street, they Disapparated back to the Ministry.

 

“So, no idea what the motive might be, but there’s no question it was a magical abduction,” Tonks finished.  Both her and Harry were standing in front of Kingsley’s desk, having just finished reporting on the scene at the Brook residence.  Harry reflected that it was nice to be talking to Kingsley about something other than himself for once.

“Good work, both of you,” Kingsley said. “This one would have slipped right by us if you hadn’t caught it.”

“Harry’s got the credit for that one, Kingsley,” Tonks said with a nod at Harry. “He was the one who put us on to it.”

“Well done, Harry,” Kingsley nodded at him with a small smile.  Harry tried not to look too pleased with himself at the praise. “Make this top priority, Tonks, we can’t have wizards going after Muggles like this; too much like Voldemort.”

Tonks nodded, wincing slightly at the use of the name. “What resources can I have?”

“Not much, you know how short staffed we are right now.  Work with Smith on a rotation for some of the trainees.” Tonks nodded, looking unsurprised. “Oh, and keep Harry with you on this one,” Kingsley instructed. “You seem to be working well together.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Tonks said, giving a mock salute.

“Get out of here,” Kingsley said with a fake scowl.

 “What’s our first move?” Harry asked as they exited Kingsley’s office.

“Right now it’s research time,” Tonks said, “We need to figure out why a wizard would have it out for a Muggle politician.  You’ve been reading the Muggle papers, what do you know about this Brook guy?”

“Not a lot,” Harry admitted. “I’ve mostly been paying attention to crime briefs.”

“Well then, it’s time for a consultation,” she declared.

“Who are we consulting with?” Harry asked as they entered the golden lifts.

“Muggle Liaison Office,” she said. “They keep up with this kind of stuff.”

A few minutes later they were seated in a cramped office across from an excited middle-aged wizard with short brown hair named Laraby.  The walls of the office were lined with clippings from Muggle newspapers.

“I’m so glad you all went to investigate that,” he told them. “We all thought that was very strange, but they rarely listen to us down here.”

“What can you tell us about Brook?” Tonks asked.

“Brook is a bit of a reformer,” Laraby said. “He’s a member of the minority party in Parliament, and he’s been campaigning against the majority party’s new trade initiative.”

“I understood about half of that,” Tonks remarked.

“Aren’t you a half-blood?” Harry said, surprised she’d know so little about the Muggle world.

“Yeah, technically,” she said. “My dad was Muggle-born, but he never cared much about what happened with Muggles.  Said the Wizarding world was way less boring.”

Laraby seemed undeterred by Tonks’s confusion, however.  Harry supposed he would be required to explain these things to wizards quite often.

“So look, in the Muggle government, people form factions called parties depending on their political positions.  The party with the most people in Parliament, that’s kind of like the Wizengamot, gets to choose the Prime Minister.  Brook is a member of a smaller party, but he’s getting a lot of attention because he’s been criticizing the main group’s policies.”

“And does that tell us anything about why a wizard might want to abduct his family?” Tonks asked.

“Not really,” Laraby admitted. “Another politician might have it out for him sure, but I can’t see why a wizard would care enough about Muggle politics to intervene like this.”

Tonks pondered that for a moment. “What about this trade issue you mentioned?  Any way that might be connected?”

“I don’t see how,” Laraby said. “It stands to affect Muggles quite a bit, especially the wealthy ones, if Brook gets his way, but those sorts of things don’t mean much to wizards.”

“Well, we appreciate the help anyway, Laraby,” Tonks said, standing up. “Any chance you have some information on Brook for us to look over, just in case.”

“Sure thing,” the little wizard beamed.  He extracted a few articles from various piles on his desk and handed them to Harry. “Good luck, and let me know if there’s anything I can do to help!”

“Well that wasn’t much use,” Harry remarked as they made their way back to the Auror Offices.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Tonks hedged. “We’ll have to see how it plays out.  Have a look through those articles, see if anything stands out.”

“What are you gonna do?” Harry asked.

“I need to have a word with Smith,” she said. “We’re going to need some of your fellow recruits.”

“What for?”

“The most boring part of being an Auror,” she said with the grim tone of someone getting ready to order soldiers to their doom. “Surveillance.”

She made the word sound like a curse.


	4. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the amazing responses so far, it's great to see that people are enjoying the story! We're getting into the action a bit; as always, feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think.

**Chapter 4: Revelations**

“Merlin’s beard I’m bored!” Tonks exclaimed. “Why are we doing this again?”

“Why are we – this was your idea!” Harry said.

“Well why didn’t you stop me?” 

“Why didn’t _I_ stop you?” Harry said indignantly. “You’re the senior Auror!”

“Since when has that held you back?” Tonks complained. “If I were Smith you would have taken over this whole operation and gone rogue by now.”

“I seem to recall you saying that I shouldn’t be doing things like that anymore,” Harry mentioned.

“That was before we spent a week sitting in this damn office, staring at nothing!” Tonks said, shifting around in her seat like a toddler.

They were sitting in a small, unadorned office in an unremarkable building filled with similar such offices.  The only thing that made this particular office of any interest to Harry or Tonks was the fact that it was just across the hall from the office MP Brook used when he was in his home district.  The Auror Office had secured use of the space Harry and Tonks now occupied to observe Brook as part of the investigation.

With no other leads to speak of, their best chance of figuring out who was after Brook was to follow him and keep an eye on things.  This meant that Tonks and Harry were now spending the majority of their days sitting in this tiny office.  The door had been bewitched so that from the inside it appeared completely transparent, allowing them to see everyone who entered Brook’s office.  Most the time, however, it left them staring at a blank stretch of hallway.

Tonks was not enjoying the assignment to say the least.

“Why is he even at his office?” she griped. “His whole family’s just been kidnapped, shouldn’t he be at home freaking out?”

“He’s a huge workaholic apparently,” Harry said. “This is probably how he copes.”

“Well can’t he cope at a bar or somewhere more interesting?” Tonks got up and started pacing the little office.  This was a familiar routine to Harry by now; he’d learned quickly that Tonks much preferred to be active, and this sedentary observation was rapidly driving her crazy. “You sure you haven’t found anything helpful?”

“Like Laraby said, he’s got a lot of enemies,” Harry said. “But I can’t figure out why a wizard would be one of them.”

Tonks sighed in frustration and continued pacing.  Her form was lithe today, perhaps as a reflection of her desire for movement and action, and her hair a fiery, spiky orange.  Harry couldn’t help sneaking glances at the patches of skin that showed through her torn jeans.

“We could play Exploding Snap?” Harry suggested.

“We already set the carpet on fire twice,” Tonks said, not slowing down.

“Only because you knocked the cards off the table,” Harry pointed out.

“Don’t even start,” Tonks said warningly. “Or should we talk about the time you brought nothing but Fizzing Whizbees for snacks?”

Harry just laughed. “What about the time you forgot to bring anything at all?”

Tonks spun, opening her mouth to deliver a sharp retort, but paused, her eyes fixed on the door.  Harry turned to see what was happening that had caught her attention.  Through the magically transparent door, they had a clear view of a man striding up the hallway towards Brook’s office.  He had light brown hair, aristocratic features, and was wearing a well-cut navy suit.  This in itself did not seem so unusual; Brook received a fairly consistent stream of visitors.

Harry glanced back at Tonks; she was staring at the man with a blankly surprised look on her face. “Something wrong?” he asked.

“I know him,” Tonks said, not taking her eyes off the man.  He knocked smartly on Brook’s door and entered.  Once he was out of sight, Tonks looked at Harry, her face shocked. “That was Ian Alberton, he was a few years ahead of me at Hogwarts.”

Harry sat up immediately and plunged his hand into the bag of supplies he’d brought with him, emerging a moment later with several long, flesh colored strings.  Handing Tonks one, he fed the Extendable Ear underneath the door jamb and directed it into Brook’s office.  Next to him, Tonks did the same.

In a few moments, the Extendable Ears began funneling the voices of the room’s occupants to them.

“-really quite simple Mr. Brook, I have your family right now.” Harry assumed the person speaking was Alberton.  His voice was smooth and confident. “If you withdraw your current proposal, they’ll be returned to you safe and unharmed.  If, however, you refuse, then I can make no guarantees that you will see any of them again.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Brook sounded scared, but Harry was impressed by his composure. “You could easily be pretending to be the kidnapper.”

Alberton did not speak, but Harry could hear a slight rustle of paper.  There was a moment of silence, then a choked sob.

“Will that suffice for you, Mr. Brook?” Alberton said coldly. “Or shall I arrange a more convincing message?  Your daughter’s head perhaps?”

“That will be quite unnecessary.” Brook’s voice was shaking badly.

“Then we have an understanding.  You have twenty-four hours to withdraw your support for the trade legislation, and to convince as many of your colleagues as you can to do likewise.”

“And what’s to stop me from having the police arrest you on your way out?” Brook said, starting to sound angry.

Alberton just laughed. “Twenty-four hours, Mr. Brook.  I’ll be watching.” Then there was a sharp crack that Harry recognized as the sound of someone Disapparating.

A moment later, Brook’s door burst open and the politician came scrambling out of his office.  His face was chalk white and he looked beyond panicked as he ran down the hallway.  Harry assumed he was headed to the lobby of the building, where two police officers were stationed for his protection.

“Go keep an eye on him,” Tonks instructed. “I’ll check out his office.”

Harry rushed to keep up with Brook, pulling out his Invisibility Cloak as he did so.  He swung the cloak over himself and arrived in the lobby just as Brook was telling the police what had happened.  Hidden under the cloak, he was easily able to listen in on the conversation.

“And he said if I didn’t withdraw my legislation, he’d kill my family” he said frantically.

“Alright Mr. Book,” the officer on the left said calmingly. “Can you tell us which way he went?”

“No, he um…” Brook suddenly looked uncomfortable, and Harry knew he was hesitating to say what had really happened. “He told me not to follow him.”

The police didn’t look deterred by this. “What about the photo he showed you of your family, did he leave that?”

“No, he took it with him,” Brook said miserably.  Once again the officers weren’t surprised, and neither was Harry.  This Alberton fellow seemed confident, but he’d have to be a complete idiot to just leave a piece of evidence behind.

“What about a description?  Can you tell us what he looked like?”

“Yes,” Brook said, clearly relieved to finally have information to provide. “I got a good look at him, he-” Brook broke off abruptly, his expression fading from triumphant to confused.  His eyes went distant, and he looked increasingly panicked. “I can’t remember!” he said. “He was sitting right in front of me, I got a good look at him an everything!  Why can’t I remember?!”

Brook was clearly working himself up into a frenzy.  The police officers exchanged skeptical looks before guiding him to a nearby chair. “Just have a seat Mr. Brook, you’re under a lot of stress right now.  Maybe we should take you home so you can rest.”

“I’m not lying!” Brook insisted. “He was definitely there, you have to believe me!”

“We believe you, sir, we just think maybe some time to rest will help you remember properly.”

Harry recognized the shift in the officer’s tone; they had gone from questioning a credible witness to placating a frantic victim.  Clearly they thought that Brook was cracking, and would likely not even mention his story to their superiors.  Having gotten everything he could out of the exchange, Harry retreated back to their stakeout office, pulling off the Invisibility Cloak as he went.

Tonks had resumed pacing when he entered. “Well?” she said the moment he closed the door.

“According to Brook, Alberton had a picture of his family,” Harry reported.

“I’m guessing he didn’t leave it though,” Tonks said. “There was nothing in the office.”

Harry shook his head. “He also must have Confunded Brook, because he didn’t remember what Alberton looked like.”

“Also not surprising,” Tonks reflected.  She looked more preoccupied than Harry had ever seen her.

“You said you were at Hogwarts with this Alberton bloke, what was he like?” Harry asked.

“I didn’t know him too well,” Tonks said, “He was three years ahead of me in Gryffindor.  He was a prefect; mostly he caught me impersonating teachers.”

“Wait, you impersonated teachers?” Harry knew it wasn’t that important at the moment, but he couldn’t help himself.

“Yeah, it was a laugh,” Tonks said with an embarrassed shrug. “I’d pretend to be McGonagall and tell off people for walking on the left side of the corridor, or something like that.”

“Did McGonagall ever catch you at it?” he asked eagerly.

“Just once.  She gave me a month’s detention, but I swear she was trying not to smile the whole time.”

“That’s amazing!” Harry said, laughing at the image. “Did you ever pretend to be Snape?”

Tonks shuddered. “Are you kidding?  I was being cheeky, not suicidal.”

“I would have loved to see that,” Harry said.

“If you’re good maybe I’ll show you my impression sometime,” Tonks said mischievously.  Then she sobered. “But right now we’ve got other things to worry about.”

“Right,” Harry said, turning back to business. “Any idea why Alberton would care about Muggle politics?”

“Not at all,” Tonks admitted. “But right now it doesn’t really matter.  We heard him admitting that he took the family, we need to get permission from Kingsley to question him and search his house.”

 ***

Kingsley authorized the search and questioning without hesitation, although he and Tonks were puzzled by Alberton’s profile.  They had no criminal record on him, no immediate hint of why he would be abducting Muggle families.

Per Kingsley’s orders, they took back up with them.  Ron and Padma Patil were both available.  Harry saw Tonks hesitate a bit when she saw their options; he guessed she was worried about taking a team made up almost exclusively of former D.A. members, but the situation didn’t justify taking any Senior Aurors.

They arrived at Alberton’s residence just as dusk was falling.  Ian Alberton lived in a stately townhouse in an upscale London suburb.  They Apparated much closer to his house than they ordinarily would have, not wanting to give him an opportunity to flee.

“What did you say this bloke does for a living?” Ron asked, looking up admiringly at the four-story house.

“No idea,” Harry muttered. “We didn’t get a chance to look him up.”

Tonks led them right up to the door and knocked sharply.  She had tamed her appearance to something a bit more official looking, although Harry noticed she had assumed the diminutive form she preferred for dueling.  Alberton answered them after a moment, still dressed in the suit he’d been wearing when he visited Brook’s office.

“Can I help you?” he asked politely.

“My name is Tonks, I’m from the Auror Office,” she announced. “May we come inside.”

If Alberton was at all alarmed by the presence of four Aurors on his doorstep he hid it very well. “Of course, please,” he said, stepping back to allow them to enter.  Once inside he ushered them to a stylishly decorated sitting room.

“I can’t say I get visitors from the Ministry very often.  What can I do for you all?” he asked, peering innocently at each of them.  His eyes lingered on Harry for a fraction of a second longer than the others, but moved on quickly.  That in itself made Harry suspicious; most people these days struggled to contain themselves around Harry.

“We have an order from Minister Shacklebolt to search your house and question you regarding the disappearance of several Muggles.” Tonks said, handing him the sheet of signed parchment.  While he perused it, she nodded to Ron and Padma, who immediately began moving about the house.

“Do you mind sharing with me why I’m under suspicion?” Alberton asked as he finished reading the order, his tone now rather cool.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that at the moment,” Tonks said briskly. “Are you familiar with a man named Gregory Brook?”

Alberton raised an eyebrow, but answered. “I believe there’s a man named Gregory Brook in the Muggle Parliament, but we’ve never met.”

“So you weren’t responsible for the abduction of Mr. Brook’s wife and children last Wednesday evening?” Tonks asked.

“Certainly not!” Alberton said, sounding affronted.

“Then why did you approach Mr. Brook earlier this afternoon threatening to kill his family?” Tonks said.  Harry admired her poker face, she’d given away absolutely nothing.

“I beg your pardon?!” Alberton said.  He was scowling, but Harry saw sweat beading on his forehead.

“Several Aurors observed you entering Mr. Brook’s office at two o’clock today.  You were overheard instructing Mr. Brook to drop several pieces of legislation he has proposed or you would harm his family.”

“I did no such thing!” Alberton insisted in insulted tones. “And I’m deeply offended by the insinuation.  I have never been accused of any criminal behavior in my life!”

“So you deny visiting Mr. Brook,” Tonks said calmly.

“Absolutely!  Your Aurors must have mistaken whoever they saw with Mr. Brook.”

Before Tonks could aim another question at the increasingly flustered Alberton, Padma reappeared next to them.

“Ron’s checking the attic, but we can’t find anything out of the ordinary,” she said in an undertone.

“No unusual spells or potions or anything?” Tonks asked quietly.

“Not that we can see,” Padma said, “but this is a wizard’s house, it’s not easy to pick out individual spells here.”

Tonks cast a suspicious glance at Alberton, who stood fidgeting in the middle of his sitting room. “Keep an eye on him,” she told Padma, “Come on Harry, let’s have a look around.”

She led Harry out of the sitting room and into an adjoining dining room that was just as richly appointed as the previous space. 

“If this guy has enough money to afford a house like this, I feel like we should have heard of him,” Harry remarked.  Tonks nodded her agreement, looking around.  They both examined the space closely with magic, but as Padma had said there was too much to disentangle easily.

They were about to move into the next room when Harry’s eyes fell upon a small cage at the end of the long dining table.  Four mice sat inside, peering up at them with their noses quivering. 

The sight of mice in a wizarding home was not very unusual, being a fairly popular pet.  However, something about them gave Harry an odd feeling.  They were looking at him far too nervously for magical mice, but calmer than garden mice.  Then he noticed the newspaper sitting next to the cage.  Unfolding it, he was greeted by a picture of a harried looking Gregory Brook above an article about the unresolved disappearance of his family.  He looked from the article to the mice, then back again.

“Tonks!” he called, not looking away from the mice.

“What is it?” she said, almost tripping over a chair in her haste to rejoin him.

“I think he may have turned the family into mice,” he said softly, so that Alberton would not hear in the adjoining room.

“What, why?” Tonks said quickly.

“There’s four of them and have a look, they’re acting odd,” Harry said. “Plus, this was just lying next to the cage.” He showed her the paper with Brook’s picture. “And honestly, look at this place.  Does Alberton seem like the kind of bloke who has mice as pets?”

Tonks listened to his reasoning and looked shrewdly at the mice, who shrank back slightly under her gaze. “Well, it’s not like it’ll hurt them if you’re wrong,” she said. “Go ahead and grab one.”

Harry opened the cage and the mice immediately pushed as far away from him as possible. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, feeling a bit silly if they were just normal mice, “We’re here to help you.”

The mice looked at each other, a very strange expression for mice, before the largest one took a few tentative steps forward.  Harry picked it up gently and set it on the table with plenty of extra space.  It sat there, not attempting to run, but trembling as it looked between Harry and Tonks.

“Ready?” Tonks said, raising her wand.

Harry nodded, mirroring her.  A moment later, a beam of light sprang from each of their wands and hit the quivering mouse.  The mouse let out a sharp squeal before the magic began to take hold, and it rapidly started to transform.  Within moments the mouse was gone, replaced by a matronly looking woman.  She took one look at each of them and let out a piercing scream.

“Stupefy!” Tonks said quickly, and she fell back onto the table. 

Harry and Tonks exchanged one triumphant look before the sound a crash echoed from the sitting room.  They dashed from the dining room in time to see Padma slump against the far wall.  Harry caught a glimpse of Alberton’s ankle as he disappeared up the stairs.

“Go after him!” Tonks shouted, hurrying to Padma, who was stirring feebly.

Harry hesitated, unwilling to leave Tonks in case they had missed some kind of threat.

“Go!” she said. “Just don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

“You too,” he said before hurtling off after Alberton.

He ran up the stairs, taking three at a time.  When he reached the second landing he heard sounds of spells above him.  Frantically he threw himself up the stairs as fast as possible.  He made it to the attic with a stich in his side and his wand at the ready.

The attic was just as fancy as the rest of the house.  Ornate furniture was strewn about the space, and an expensive set of potions equipment adorned the far wall.  However, Harry only had a moment to register all of that.  A few feet from the stairs Alberton was flinging spells at Ron, who was standing at the far end of the room.

“Look out, Harry!” Ron shouted, but unfortunately he alerted Alberton to Harry’s presence.  The now fugitive wizard aimed a spell at Harry who threw up a quick Shield Charm.  Before he could retaliate, Alberton hit the ground with a curse that caused a thunderous crash.  The house shook ominously, and Harry was forced to grab the banister to keep his balance, while Ron tumbled to the floor.

Through a haze of dust Harry could see Albertson grab a broom, blast another hole in the ceiling and take off into the open air.

“Ron, are you alright?!” Harry called through the dust.

“I’m fine!” he called back. “Can’t see in all this.”

Harry waved his wand, clearing out the dust.  Ron was raising himself gingerly to his feet; the house was still swaying dangerously.

“Should we go after him?” Ron asked.

Harry looked around and saw several other brooms lying against the wall.  They were good models too, not Firebolts, but still fast.  He was only a foot away from grabbing one when the house shook again, forcing him to grab a heavy armoire to stay upright.  He paused, struggling to make a decision.

Every instinct in his body was screaming at them to chase down Alberton so he wouldn’t be able to harm anyone else.  However, that last curse Alberton had dropped was making Harry increasingly nervous.  Every couple seconds the house was giving a violent tremor.

Finally, he thought what Tonks would tell him to do.  She would want him to make the smart choice, and not throw himself at unknown risks.

“No,” he said reluctantly. “Let’s get back downstairs, find out why the house is doing that.”

“You sure?” Ron asked, peering out of the hole in the roof. “I can still see him, we could probably catch up.”

“I know,” Harry said through gritted teeth. “But think about it.  Why’s he waiting around, he could easily Disapparate.  Might be he has other tricks set up.  Better to be safe, regroup with Tonks.”

Ron shrugged. “If you say so.” He looked skeptical, but disinclined to argue while the house was shaking like there was an earthquake.  Harry wasn’t particularly pleased by his own reasoning, but he didn’t want to let Tonks down after she’d placed so much time and faith in him.

They made their way gingerly back down to Tonks, clutching the railings to keep from falling over.  When they reached the ground floor they saw immediately why the house was shaking so much.  Whatever Alberton had done, it was causing the foundations and base structure of the house to start disintegrating.  Massive holes were appearing in the walls as the house literally crumbled away.

Ron and Harry both gaped at the damage, having never seen a spell like this before. “Don’t just stand there, help me!” Tonks yelled frantically at them as she rushed from room to room, attempting to repair the damage as fast as possible.

They sprang into action, working to stabilize the damage.  It took a surprisingly long time, but between the three of them, they were able to hold off the effects of Alberton’s spell until it ran its course. 

When it was over, Harry leaned against a wall, running a shaking hand over his sweaty forehead.  A mess of shattered paintings and photographs lay strewn across the floor, victims of the spell’s violent tremors.  Tonks joined him a moment later.

“Good job, Harry,” she said, looking just as tired as he felt. “Did you get him?”

“No,” Harry grated. “He blew a hole in wall and flew away right after he did this.” He waved around the now destroyed sitting room.

Tonks looked at him in surprise. “And you didn’t take off after him?”

“I wanted to,” Harry admitted. “I _really_ wanted to.  But I knew you’d have wanted me to be more cautious than that.”

“And that made a difference?” She still looked shocked.

“Of course it did.  I told you, I trust you,” Harry said simply.

The next thing Harry knew, Tonks had flung her arms around his neck.  He froze, uncertain what was happening at first.  Tentatively, he returned the hug.

When Tonks pulled back, she was beaming. “I’m really proud of you, Harry!” she said. “I know it doesn’t feel that great to let him go like that, but the rest of us would be dead if you hadn’t.”

Harry smiled back, a warm happiness spreading through him, despite the exhaustion. “How’s Padma?” he asked.

“She’s fine,” Tonks assured him. “He just caught her by surprise, that’s all.  The mice, children, whatever, are okay too.”

“Good,” Harry said emphatically.

Tonks smiled again, her whole face lighting up.  Then something seemed to shift, and the smile slid off her face.  She pulled her arms away from Harry rather quickly.

“We should get the family back to the Ministry,” she said, suddenly businesslike. “We’ll need to transform them and modify their memories before we take them back to Brook.”

She bustled out of the room, and Harry was left, wondering what in the world had just happened.

 ***

It took them several more hours to transport the Brook family to the Ministry, restore them to a less furry appearance, check their health, question them briefly, modify their memories, and finally return them to their home.  Harry was assigned the task of working with the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee to devise a suitable explanation for their return that would appear in the morning papers.  Ethel was of course delighted by this.

“Well we could say it was a gas leak of some kind,” Ethel said. “Muggles always love the gas leak excuse.”

Harry was a little skeptical of that. “How would a gas leak explain them being gone for a week?”

“We can say that a gas leak at his office caused Mr. Brook to forgot that his wife was going to take the kids for a trip to her parents,” Ethel suggested.

“But then we have to explain why she didn’t get in contact with him once her disappearance was all over the news,” Harry said.

“Maybe she wasn’t checking the news while she was on vacation?”

“She still would have called.”

“We can arrange some, what do you call those?  Voicemails?  We’ll say that he was so stressed he forgot to check.”

This went on for a while as Harry and Ethel worked out each angle they possibly could to cover the scenario.  When it was finished, Harry made his way back to Auror Office to check in.  Ron, Padma, and Tonks were all sitting in one of the conference rooms, finishing up the paperwork.

“How are you feeling?” Harry asked Padma.

“People keep asking me that,” she said, looking cross. “I’m fine, he just caught me by surprise when that lady started screaming.”

“Just making sure,” Harry said with a placating gesture. “What do you need from me?”

“Some signatures,” Tonks said passing him a few pieces of parchment without looking up. “I already wrote up our side of the report.”

“That was fast,” Harry remarked, pulling the parchments and quill toward him.

Ron looked at him incredulously. “Not really.  You were down there for an hour, mate.”

Harry glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost nine.  It had been a very long day.

They worked in silence to finish the reports for several minutes.  As each of them finished they pushed back the forms, looking exhausted.

“Drinks at the Leaky Cauldron anyone?” Ron asked.  There was a round of fervent nods; it was traditional to have a celebration after a successful mission.  As they rose to leave however, the door to the conference room opened and Kingsley stepped in.  They all straightened a bit at the sight of the Minister, but he smiled widely at them.

“Good job all of you!  Truly excellent work!” They beamed at him. “We’ll need to keep searching for Alberton of course, but in the meantime you should all get some rest.  Take tomorrow off and then we’ll get started.”

Harry and Ron high fived at this news and Padma let out a little whoop of excitement.  They stared to file out of the conference room, eager at the prospect of drinks and a day off.  Tonks, however, hung back.

“Can I have a quick word with you Kingsley?” Harry heard her ask before the door shut behind them.

Promising to meet Ron and Padma at the Cauldron, Harry stopped off at his cubicle to get his traveling cloak and submit his reports.  Tonks joined him right as he was getting ready to leave.

“You coming along?” he asked uncertainly.  After the scene in Alberton’s house she had been acting unusually professional towards him, not at all her typical playful self.

“I’m pretty tired, I think I’ll sit this one out.  Listen, Harry,” she ploughed on before he could attempt to change her mind. “I’ve got some good news for you.  I talked to Kingsley, and we both agreed that we can transfer you back to the other recruits now.  Well done!”

Her words sounded positive, and she tried to smile at him, but there was something strained about her tone, and the smile looked brittle.

Harry opened his mouth to say something happy like “That’s great!” but what came out instead was “Why?”

Tonks looked confused. “What do you mean, ‘why?’”

“I mean isn’t it a little soon,” Harry said, not consciously choosing any of his words. “We’ve only been working together for a few weeks.”

“Yeah, well, you were a fast learner,” Tonks said avoiding his eyes.

“So, what, you think everything’s fine now?” Harry said stubbornly.  He didn’t even know why he was fighting this. “One good mission and everything’s solved?”

“It wasn’t a huge problem, Harry,” she said, her voice rising a bit. “You just needed some help adjusting.  You don’t need to be babysat.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s the deal, here, didn’t you want to be back with the rest of the group?”

“Well, sure,” he said.

“Then I don’t see what the problem is,” Tonks insisted. “Kingsley wanted me to work with you until I thought you were in a good place to be with the rest of the Aurors.  I’ve decided you’re in a good place.”

“Well, alright then,” Harry said, still feeling unaccountably mulish.

They stood there awkwardly for several moments before Tonks flashed another unconvincing smile. “Good work today, Harry.  See you later.”

 

“And then she just left.  Nothing else, just walked off.  I mean, what’s up with that?”

Harry was sitting across from Ron and Hermione at the Leaky Cauldron, drinks in front of each of them.  A number of Aurors were present to celebrate saving the Brook family, but Harry had pulled Ron and Hermione away from the main group to get their opinion on Tonks’s strange behavior.

Hermione and Ron shared a look, one of that usually meant they had rehearsed some kind of encounter with Harry ahead of time.  That didn’t necessarily improve Harry’s mood.

“It’s not exactly a bad thing, right?” Ron said bracingly. “I mean, you weren’t chuffed about this whole partnering up thing, were you?”

“No I wasn’t,” Harry said, although he wasn’t quite sure anymore. “But still, doesn’t it seem a bit abrupt?  Shouldn’t she, I don’t know, make sure I’m not gonna get us all killed before cutting me loose?”

Ron and Hermione looked at each other again. “I never really understood the problem, honestly,” Ron said. “You’ve never gotten any of us killed before, why are they worried about it now?”

“They’ve got their reasons,” Harry hedged.

“Well sod it, I want to know what bloody reasons they have for babysitting you!” Ron said, losing all patience. “It’s not like you killed You-Know-Who or anything, so why should they trust your judgement?”

“I don’t trust anyone else to get the job done!” Harry burst out. “Ever since we were kids, it’s just been us, hasn’t it?  We were always the ones who had to take care of stuff.  We had to protect the Philosopher’s Stone, we had to figure out the Chamber.  Dumbledore didn’t save Sirius, Dumbledore didn’t get the memory for Slughorn or hunt down Horcruxes and fight possessed snakes.  It was always just us!”

Ron looked taken aback by Harry’s outburst.  Hermione, uncharacteristically, was staying silent. “We always got the job done, though, didn’t we?” Ron said. “So it’s working out alright.”

“It’s _not_ working out alright,” Harry said fervently.  Saying the words was difficult, but he felt like a weight was lifting off his chest by doing it. “It’s getting in the way of everything.  We could have waited five minutes for Smith to get there and those Muggles would have been just fine.  But I didn’t trust him, I didn’t think he’d actually show up, so I hauled us in there, and Neville might have had his head taken off.”

“But he didn’t,” Ron insisted. “Same way I didn’t die from poisoning or Hermione didn’t stay Petrified.  You took care of it.”

“I’m tired of taking care of it,” Harry said bluntly, and he realized as he said it how true it was. “I’m sick of it all being on me.”

Ron didn’t seem to have a response to this, and he looked at Hermione beseechingly.  She leaned forward for the first time since they had sat down. “Listen, Harry, I think they were right to put you with Tonks.  You needed someone whose lead you could follow for a bit and I think she was perfect.  But don’t you think, now that you’re more aware of this, it won’t really be that hard to fix?”

“I suppose,” Harry allowed. He had been finding it easier to relax since he’d started working with Tonks.  Maybe it wouldn’t be that hard to continue what she’d started with him.  But then again... “Why not be more sure though?”

“Because it’s you, Harry,” Hermione said, rolling her eyes.  He was getting a little sick of everyone saying that to him. “You’re obsessive, once you’ve put your mind to something you never let it go.  If you really want to change your attitude, you will.”

“Okay fine,” Harry said, irritated, “I still don’t get why she had to take off like that.”

“Why do you care?”

Harry was so surprised by the question that it took him a moment to even register it. “What?”

“Why do you care?” Hermione repeated slowly.

“I dunno,” Harry muttered, “It just seems weird, right?  I mean, everything’s been going fine the last few weeks, we’ve been getting on really well, I don’t see why she’d be so odd about it.”  He rubbed his hair in frustration. “Maybe it was something I said, or, I don’t know, something I did.”

He looked at Hermione to see if she had some ideas, but she just held out a hand expectantly to Ron.  With a sigh of disgust he handed over a Galleon and Harry had the bewildering realization that he’d just been the subject of some kind of bet.

“What was that about?” he asked cautiously.

“It doesn’t matter,” Hermione said quickly, pocketing the Galleon. “Harry, isn’t it obvious what’s going on?”

“Obviously not,” he replied with some vexation. “Mind helping me out?”

“You fancy her!” Hermione exclaimed with a smile.

“What, Tonks?” Harry said blankly.

“Yes, Tonks!” she said, sounding exasperated. “The way you talk about her, are you honestly saying you didn’t realize it?”

“I don’t…I mean I suppose…” Harry stuttered.  He thought back over the last few weeks, the time spent with Tonks working and practicing.  The conversations, the banter all suddenly took on a new light in his memory; the way he’d been paying attention to the different forms she took.  He also became aware that virtually every time he’d talked with Ron or Hermione, he’d brought up something Tonks had said or done during their training.  He realized that each day had been a little brighter, knowing he’d get to see her, and now, looking ahead to days that wouldn’t be spent with her, he found he was despondent.

He looked up at Ron and Hermione, confused by this sudden whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.  Hermione was still beaming, while Ron looked a bit rueful.

“You knew?” he asked them.

“Hermione did,” Ron said grudgingly. “She bet me on it.  I didn’t think Tonks would be your type.”

“Of course she would be his type, Ron,” Hermione said reproachfully. “She’s smart and funny and a good Auror.  She’s perfect for him.”

“Yeah but she’s always messing around with how she looks,” Ron said. “I always thought that was a little weird.  She could look like a veela, but she picks pink hair.”

“I like that she does that,” Harry said, still reeling a bit. “It’s unique, isn’t it?  Everyone else _would_ try to look like a veela except her.  No one else ever looks like Tonks.”

Hermione gave Ron a pointed look and he raised his hands. “Hey, I can admit when I’m wrong,” he said. “So, Harry fancies Tonks, good for him.”

“Is that why she didn’t want to work with me anymore?” Harry guessed, “Did I make her uncomfortable?”

“No I doubt it,” Hermione said. “She’s had plenty of people hitting on her at the Ministry, she knows how to handle that by now.”

“Really?” Ron said in confusion.

“Yes, Ron.  People like you who think if they date her they’ll get to shag a veela look-alike,” Hermione said scathingly.

“Hey, I didn’t-!” Ron started to say, but Hermione cut across him.

“The point is, I doubt she’d be put off by you having a crush on her,” Hermione said. “Honestly, I think she probably likes you too.”

“What?” Harry said. “Come off it, why would she like me?”

“I’m tired of having this conversation every couple of years with you, Harry,” she replied. “Suffice it to say, plenty of people wouldn’t mind dating you.”

“You gotta admit, that’s true, mate,” Ron said, evidently deciding it was now best to agree with his girlfriend on everything.

“Sure, crazy people,” Harry said. “Nutters like, Romilda Vane, not women like Tonks.  She’s too…good for me.”

Hermione’s eyes rolled so far back that for a moment she looked a bit like Mad-Eye. “Fine, if you think I’m wrong, try asking her out.”

“Ask her – are you crazy?” Harry was frankly alarmed by the idea.

“Like I said, if she doesn’t like you, she’ll let you down easy, she’s done it with other guys.  And you don’t even have to see her that much anymore, so it won’t be awkward.” Hermione leaned forward, suddenly intent. “But if I’m right, well, you might actually get to date someone who isn’t hundreds of miles away from you for once.”

Harry was still more than a little uncertain.  The prospect of asking Tonks out was more than a little scary.  She was so confident, he had no idea how he’d even work up the nerve.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Ron offered. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“She could jinx me into the third century,” Harry suggested.  Privately he imagined the worst thing would be getting turned down.

“You know she won’t do that,” Hermione admonished him. “Promise us you’ll think about it, alright?  You deserve to be happy, Harry.”

Looking into her earnest expression, Harry couldn’t help but nod. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”


	5. Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was initially planning a slightly more sedate pace for releasing new chapters, but I'm just too excited to share with everyone. Hope you enjoy!

And think about it he did.  In fact for the next two weeks he thought about very little else, even when absorbed in the hunt for Alberton.  Now that they had solid proof of his misdeeds, Kingsley had assigned a taskforce of Aurors to Tonks to track down and apprehend Alberton.  This meant that while they were not as tied at the hip as when he was partnered with her, Harry still saw a great deal of Tonks on a day to day basis.  She continued to treat him with uncharacteristic formality, and despite what Hermione had said, he worried that he had gotten too personal, asked too many sensitive questions of her.

“You think too much,” Ron said when Harry confessed these concerns to him. “Only way I ever got anywhere with Hermione was once I stopped overthinking it.”

“The threat of imminent death helped a bit too,” Harry pointed out wryly.

“We’re Aurors, mate,” Ron said happily. “Imminent death is part of the job.  Just get on with it.”

However, ‘getting on with it’ was proving rather difficult; the case kept them too busy to do much else.  First, they had catalogued the contents, magical and otherwise, of Alberton’s house.  A more thorough search hadn’t yielded anything in the way of illegal objects, but it had revealed some rather nasty spells built into the house.

The curse he’d cast during his escape had evidently triggered a dormant spell that had caused the house to start disintegrating.  Near as they could tell, if they hadn’t counteracted the damage, it would have looked as though the house had fallen into a sinkhole.  They discovered other such traps meant to mimic a variety of disasters, such as a house fire, and even a bombing.

These were sophisticated pieces of magic, and must have required a great deal of time to set up.  This, despite the lack of other incriminating evidence, led Harry to believe that the kidnapping of the Brook family was not an isolated incident.  In his view, Alberton would not have gone to such trouble on a whim, and Harry became increasingly convinced that this was not the wizard’s first such crime.

When he articulated his theory to Kingsley and Tonks, the former looked at him seriously. “An interesting idea, Harry, but lacking in evidence.  What do you think?” he asked Tonks.

Tonks, whose hair was its natural mousy brown today, said, “I’m inclined to agree with Harry, but we haven’t been able to dig up anything concrete.  We know he’s Muggleborn, graduated with seven NEWTs and worked abroad for a few years.  We assume that’s how he escaped persecution during You-Know-Who’s reign.  Came home after we took back the Ministry, but we don’t have any record of employment since then.”

“Hmm,” Kingsley said, a contemplative look on his face. “That’s what’s so odd to me.  How could he afford to live so well without a source of income?  He’s Muggleborn, so he’s obviously not from one of the wealthy families.”

“Maybe he is, just not a wizarding one,” Harry interjected.  Tonks and Kingsley both looked at him curiously. “We haven’t looked at his family at all because they’re not wizards, but there are some fairly rich Muggles out there too.”

Kingsley looked intrigued. “That’s a good point, Harry.  We should follow up with that when we’ve got the chance.  First things first though, Headmistress McGonagall got back to us.” He indicated a letter on his desk.

“Did she have anything useful?” Tonks asked.

“Given the circumstances, I requested that she not to relate anything through an owl,” Kingsley said. “She said she’d be happy to speak to someone in person.”

Tonks nodded. “I’ll head there straight away.”

“Take Harry with you,” Kingsley told her. “He seems to have a good sense for this case, I want him to hear what she has to say first hand.”

This seemed to distress Tonks.  Her eyes flicked toward Harry, but she didn’t object. “Meet me in the Atrium in ten minutes,” she said to him.  He nodded, but she was already marching back to her office.

He stopped off quickly at Ron’s cubicle to let him know where they were going.

“Well that’s excellent,” Ron said, his face lighting up. “You’ll have plenty of time to chat her up.”

“I’m still not sure this is a good idea,” Harry said one last time.

“Bollocks,” Ron snorted. “Since when has Hermione ever been wrong about anything?”

Harry could think of a couple times, but he had to admit that the record was tilted in her favor.  In any case, he didn’t have time to argue the point as he dashed toward the Atrium.

Tonks was waiting for him just beyond the Disapparation line, fidgeting and looking downright miserable.  Her appearance still looked rather forlorn to him, and she wouldn’t meet his eyes.  They quickly Apparated to Hogsmeade, and began making the long trek up to the castle.

Along the way, Harry tried to make polite conversation to show Tonks that he could be professional and appropriate with her, but her responses were noncommittal, and he gave up after a while.

Being left alone with his own thoughts was hardly an improvement; the turmoil he was experiencing over what to do with Tonks was eating up all his concentration.  He wanted desperately to talk with her, but he didn’t want to risk making anything worse.  He was so absorbed in his worries that he almost didn’t notice when they reached the gates with the winged boars guarding the entrance to the grounds.

They both stopped on the spot and stared up, past the gates, to the castle.  It looked as it always had, old and majestic, all signs of damage erased.  Still, Harry could not help but remember the scenes of chaos of death.

Surprisingly it was Tonks who broke the silence. “I haven’t been back since…you know.  Have you?”

Harry shook his head. “McGonagall always said I was welcome to visit, but I would always just meet Ginny in Hogsmeade.  Too many memories.  Too much…” he hesitated, but plunged on. “Too much guilt.”

Tonks looked at him, and for the first time in over a week she wasn’t wearing a blank mask of professionalism. “It wasn’t your fault, Harry,” she said softly.

He shrugged. “I suppose, but it’s still hard not to wonder.  Maybe if I had done something different…maybe more people might still be alive.”

She reached out a tentative hand and grasped his shoulder. “You did everything you could.”

Far from comforting him, the brief moment of contact seemed to make everything worse, compounding awful memories with increased longing to be closer to her.  He sighed, stepping forward to open the gates. “Let’s get this over with, then.”

Tonks nodded, her face glum, and she followed him.

They made their way up the pristine grounds while Harry tried, and failed, to ignore the images that rose up in him as he walked the old, familiar paths.  There was the spot where Hagrid had been carried away by acromantulas.  A little ways away where they had nearly been overwhelmed by dementors.  Harry recalled that he had never been as close to giving up as in that moment.

Through the Entrance Hall, where Colin and Lavender had fallen.  Up the marble staircase, and through corridors that had been shattered and broken by spells.  He knew that if he took a couple turns, he’d be at the spot where Fred had died.  No sign of the battle remained, but it felt like an illusion to Harry, as though at any moment he might pull back the veneer and see the ruins.

Finally, they reached the spot he’d been dreading most; the stone gargoyle standing guard over the entrance to the Headmaster’s Office.  Dumbledore’s office.

“Aurors Nymphadora Tonks and Harry Potter, here to see Headmistress McGonagall,” Tonks announced smartly.  After a moment the gargoyle sprang aside to reveal the moving spiral staircase.

Harry was momentarily shaken out of his dark recollections. “Wait, you can just tell it who you are and it’ll let you in?” He remembered several times when he’d attempted to bypass the gargoyle to no avail.

“If it thinks you’ve got legitimate business it will,” Tonks said.

“Well how does it decide what’s legitimate or not?” Harry said crossly.

“No idea,” Tonks said, leading the way up the staircase.  Harry cast an irritated look at the gargoyle before following.

They reached the top and Tonks knocked.  A familiar voice echoed from inside. “You may enter.”

Tonks opened the door and stepped inside.  Harry took a deep breath and followed her.

The office had not changed much since Harry last visited it.  Some of the silver instruments were gone, but many still remained. To Harry’s surprise, several of the spindly legged tables now bore framed wizarding photos.  The most obvious change was of course the figure sitting behind the ornate desk.

The Headmistress of Hogwarts stood and moved around to greet them.  On anyone else, the small smile she gave them would have seemed cool.  On Minerva McGonagall, it was practically dazzling.

“It’s good to see you Ms. Tonks, Mr. Potter,” she said, shaking their hands in turn.  She motioned them to seats in front of the desk, and Harry was taken back to the many hours he’d spent in this room with its former occupant. “As I understand, this concerns one Ian Alberton?”

“That’s right, Professor,” Tonks said. “I assume Kingsley filled you in on the details?”

“He did,” Professor McGonagall nodded, “And I must say I was very disturbed to hear it.  Alberton was always an excellent student.  It was on my recommendation that he was made a prefect.  To hear what he has stooped to was…well unpleasant to say the least.”

“Can you tell us anything about what he was like?” Tonks asked, leaning forward. “Anything that might give us a clue about why he would have done this?”

“I’m afraid I can relate very little else,” Professor McGonagall said regretfully. “Faces tend to blur over time, even for the best of us.  I told Kingsley as much, but he insisted on sending someone in person.”

“Was there anything about his attitude that struck you?” Tonks asked.

Professor McGonagall considered the question for a bit before answering. “He was a bit prideful as I recall, but no more than many other talented students I’ve taught over the years.  Certainly not as bad as some.”

“No nasty incidents, no scuffles with other students?” Tonks pressed.

“Nothing that he was ever implicated in, so far as I’m aware.”

“What about his family,” Harry interjected. “Did he ever talk about them.”

McGonagall looked a bit surprised by the question but answered quickly. “Yes actually, quite a bit.  As I understand it, his family were rather well known in the Muggle community.  Business people of some kind, as I recall.  He would sometimes boast of their accomplishments, although as you can imagine that didn’t impress many people here.”

Harry and Tonks exchanged a look.  That was the best bit of information they’d gotten so far.  They asked a few more questions, but quickly became clear that McGonagall had related all she knew.

“Thank you, Professor,” Tonks said, standing. “If you think of anything else please let us know.”

“Certainly,” Professor McGonagall said, rising with them and shaking their hands.  As she did so, Harry’s eyes fell upon the large portrait behind the desk; one that he’d been deliberately trying to avoid looking at the whole time.  Dumbledore’s likeness snoozed gently in his frame.

Professor McGonagall caught the direction of his gaze. “Would you like me to wake him?” she asked gently.

Harry tore his eyes away from Dumbledore’s sleeping face with some difficulty. “No.  Thanks Professor.” he hitched an unconvincing smile onto his face.  He turned to leave, but something else caught his attention. “Professor,” he said, looking back at McGonagall. “I don’t see a portrait of Professor Snape in here.”

Professor McGonagall’s mouth hardened into a line. “I have been uncertain how appropriate it would be to display his portrait, given the circumstances surrounding his time in office.”

Harry glanced at the cabinet in the corner, where he knew the Pensieve lay. “You’ve seen his memories?” he asked.

“I have,” she confirmed.

“Then you know why he did it,” Harry said quietly.

“I do, Potter,” she said, not unkindly. “But that does not always make it easier to bear.”

Harry considered his words carefully for a moment. “He deserves a portrait, Professor,” he eventually said. “Whatever else he was, we owe him that much.”

McGonagall considered him intently. “I will think it over.”

Knowing that was the best he would get, he nodded at her and went to join Tonks, who was already waiting by the door.

Their return trip out of the castle and through the grounds was as silent as before.  Harry brooded over the memories and hurts that seeing his old school had dredged up in him.  Before he even properly realized it, they were almost back to Hogsmeade.

“Ready to head back?” Tonks asked.

“Wait,” Harry said, reaching out a hand to stop her.  He struggled with himself for a moment before deciding that the consequences of _not_ saying anything far outweighed any potential fallout from speaking his mind.  The trip to Hogwarts, brief as it was, had reminded him that life was far too short.

“We need to talk,” he said, setting his concerns aside.

“We can go over the case more once we’re back,” Tonks said.

“Not about the case,” Harry clarified. “I mean we need to talk about us.”

“Us?” Tonks repeated, confused. “What do you mean, us?”

Harry took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “Tonks, I like you,” he said, feeling his heart pounding. “And I don’t mean just as friend, although I really enjoy having you as a friend.  I mean, I like you, and I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me sometime?”

Tonks just stood there, looking at him with that blank mask of an expression on her face.

“I completely understand if you don’t feel the same way,” he hurried to add. “If you don’t, I won’t be mad or anything, I won’t be weird about it, I just thought it’d be better to ask in case, you know, you felt the same way.”

He forced himself to stop talking and give her time to respond, even though he was inclined to keep babbling until night fell.

Tonks appeared to be deliberating on what to say, the muscles in her jaw working.  When it seemed as if she wouldn’t give a reply anytime this century, Harry couldn’t help adding, “So then, do you?  Feel the same way, I mean?”

Tonks looked at the ground. “I’m not sure us dating would be a good idea, Harry,” she said at last. “We work together, and after all, I’m sort of your superior, at least on this investigation.”

Harry’s stomach sank.  This was exactly what he’d been afraid to hear. “Oh, right.  Of course, I get it,” he said, trying not to let his disappointment show.

Tonks nodded glumly. “I’m really sorry, Harry,” she said, turning away.

Harry felt like someone had poured lead into his body; all he wanted to do was sink into the ground and stay there.  After all that worrying, after everything Hermione had said, Tonks didn’t like him.  She’d said-

Wait, what had she said?  Harry quickly played back her comments in his mind.  Suddenly his feet felt light, and he darted after her, interposing himself in front of her.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he said, feeling suddenly confident.

“What, yes, I did,” she replied. “I said-”

“You said you didn’t think it would be a good idea if we dated,” Harry recited. “I didn’t ask if it would be a good idea for us to date.  I asked if you felt the same way about me.”

“Harry…” she began, her face twisted up in discomfort.

“If you don’t, I’d really rather hear a straight answer,” Harry told her. “It won’t be fun, but I can take it.  I don’t need an excuse about workplace fraternization, or something like that because I honestly don’t give a shit about that kind of stuff.”

Tonks looked as though she was waging some kind of internal war with herself.  She opened her mouth several times to say something, then seemed to think better of it, before apparently surrendering and bursting out, “Of course I like you, Harry!”

“You do?” Harry said, suddenly feeling like he could float off into the sky. “You mean, really?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Merlin’s beard, did you really not notice?  I’m not exactly a subtle person, am I?”

“No, but I just assumed-”

“What?  You just assumed that I go throwing myself at all my colleagues?  Or tracking them down at bars on my off days to cheer them up?  Maybe you think I tell everyone who asks about my abilities, or the weird shit guys have asked me to do.  Is that what you assumed?” She planted her hands on her hips, looking rather fierce.

“No, I just figured…” Harry struggled to reassert some control over the conversation. “I mean look at you!  You’re, well, you, and I’m just me,” he finished lamely.

“You are unbelievable,” Tonks said, shaking her head. “Fine then, I’ll give you straight answer, Harry.  Yes, I fancy you.  There, happy?”

“Kind of,” Harry admitted, although truthfully he was a bit scared too. “Why’ve you been acting all distant lately then?”

“Because it’s not appropriate,” Tonks said with the air of explaining something to a dense person. “Like I said, I’m a senior Auror, you’re a recruit, it wouldn’t be proper.”

“Is that what this is?” Harry said incredulously. “You think we have, what, some kind of disparity in our positions?  Would it help if I told you I was the one who killed Voldemort?”

“This is serious, Harry!” she said angrily.

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s be serious.  Are there any Ministry regulations against coworkers dating, even with some difference in rank?”

She glared at him.  They both knew it was a rhetorical question. “No,” she admitted. “You just have to let the Head of the Department know.”

“How about unspoken then?  A rule of thumb?”

“No,” she grated, looking even more irritated.

“Maybe it just doesn’t happen then,” Harry persisted. “Would this be the first time?”

Tonks glared daggers at him. “I’ve seen three senior Aurors get married to former recruits.” She sighed. “When did you learn to argue like this?”

“Hermione’s my best friend, I was bound to pick up some of it,” he said with a grin. “Come on then, what’s the real problem?”

“There’s loads of other reasons why we shouldn’t date,” she said.

“Like what?” he retorted.

“Well, like our age, for example,” she said, although it looked like she was grasping at straws. “I’m a lot older than you.”

Harry actually burst out laughing. “You’re six years older than me, that’s hardly a lot.”

“It’s not nothing,” she snapped. “Six years can make a big difference.”

“So it’s a life experience thing?” Harry said. “Again, there was this little thing with Voldemort...”

“Will you stop saying the name!” she hissed at him.

“I’ll keep saying the name over and over until you tell me what’s really going on,” Harry threatened.

“You don’t really want me!” she exclaimed before seeming to sag into herself.  The admission appeared to have cost her something. “No one ever actually wants _me_ ,” she said despondently.

“Well that’s a load of bollocks,” Harry scoffed.

“Is it?” she said, looking at him fiercely. “Tell me something, Harry if I couldn’t change myself to be skinnier, or taller, or have bigger boobs; if this,” she made a disdainful motion towards herself, “was all you ever got, why would you want anything to do with me?”

“Well let’s see,” Harry said, undeterred, “How about the fact that this,” he mimicked her motion, “is pretty damn amazing.  But no,” he continued, speaking over her as she made to interrupt him, “you’re right, that’s not enough.  Maybe I like you because you’re the funniest, most confident person I know?  Or because you always have joke or a comeback ready, or that you somehow manage to tease me without ever making it seem mean?  Or that you’re the only person who seemed to care that I was miserable and wanted to do something about it?  Maybe it’s the fact that for the last month, I’ve woken up happier than I can remember because I get to spend time with you.”

He took an unconscious step closer to her. “And yeah, I like the fact that you can change how you look, because it means I never know what color your hair will be when you turn up in the morning, or whether you’ll be taller than me.  But you’re crazy if you think that I want to be with you because I think I can turn you into some kind of customizable bint.  I like you because you’ve got an insane sense of humor, and you make me do the weirdest things to get me to trust you.  I want to be with you because you make me happy.”

He stopped, finding he was breathing rather hard.  Tonks was looking at him with an expression he couldn’t interpret.

“You really mean all that, don’t you?” she said quietly.

He gave a little shrug, starting to feel embarrassed that he’d said so much. “Like you said, I can’t lie worth a damn.”

She took a step closer so that they were barely inches apart, reaching a hand up to cup his jaw.  She looked into his eyes wonderingly, and his heart gave a little jump. “No, you can’t.”

Then she leaned up and kissed him.  For a moment he froze, uncertain what was going on.  Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, their bodies seeming to melt into the kiss.  For a long while he was aware of nothing but her lips against his, her back under his hands, and her arms around his neck.

She pulled back eventually, but he didn’t let go of her, and her arms stayed intertwined around him.  He was shocked to see her hair returned to her favorite pink.  No, he realized, _his_ favorite pink.  She gave him one of those dazzling smiles that he’d been missing this last week and half.

“So, does that mean you do want to date me?” he asked, feeling rather breathless.

She let go of his neck for a moment to give him a playful slap on the arm. “Yes, you dolt, that’s exactly what it means.” She sobered a bit though. “You know, Harry, this will probably be a bit complicated?  We do work together, after all.”

“I know.  I’m fine putting up with a little bit of complication if it means I get to be with you,” he said fervently. “Are you sure you don’t mind the drama of being with me?  I don’t exactly get a lot of privacy.”

“I’m aware,” she said. “And yeah, I don’t mind.  I know perfectly well what I’m getting into.”

Harry smiled, his heart soaring, and he pulled her close, burying his face against her vividly pink hair, while she pressed hers into the crook of his neck.

After a while, she said, “We should probably be getting back.  Kingsley’ll be wondering where we are.”

“One more kiss for the road?” Harry suggested.

Tonks laughed. “Well I suppose you’ve earned it.”

 ***

They arrived back at the Ministry in a cloudy haze of euphoria.  Harry had to stop himself from smiling like a madman.  Tonks on the other hand seemed to have no such compunction.  She actually skipped through the Atrium, not at all concerned about the strange looks she was attracting.

“Doing alright there?” Harry asked once they entered the lift.

“Doing just fine,” Tonks said, slipping her hand into his and smiling up at him. “You?”

Harry couldn’t help grinning back. “Not too bad.”

They held hands all the way up to the Auror Office, where by unspoken agreement they attempted to compose themselves as they passed their colleagues.  Tonks knocked on Kingsley’s door and practically bounced inside when he said, “Come in.”

“Alright there, Kingsley?” Tonks asked brightly as they entered.

“Oh, just fine,” Kingsley said absently, not looking up from a report. “What did you learn from McGo-” He looked up and abruptly trailed off.  Harry realized he must be trying to reconcile this chipper, beaming version of Tonks with the somber one that had left his office a couple hours ago.

“Not a whole lot,” Tonks said, not acknowledging Kingsley’s sudden look of confusion. “Apparently he was a model student, no problems to speak of.  But Harry asked about his family, and it turns out Harry was right, the guy’s from a rich Muggle family.  McGonagall said he was always bragging about them.”

Kingsley seemed to have recovered somewhat. “Well that’s something at least.  Sounds like you should focus on that angle.  Pull Muggle records, learn as much as you can about the family.”

“Can we interview them?” Tonks asked.

Kingsley hesitated. “If you have to, but I’d rather avoid it if possible.  Interrogating Muggle families is complicated, a lot of hoops to jump through.”

“Got it,” Tonks said. “Focus on the records for the moment, surveillance, etc.  Oh, and by the way, Harry and I are dating now.”

Harry looked at Tonks in alarm, having been given no indication that she was planning on bringing this up to Kingsley so fast.  Luckily his reaction went unnoticed by the Minister, who was looking more shocked than Harry had ever seen him.

“That was, um, rather sudden,” Kingsley said, blinking rather rapidly.

Tonks looked thoroughly unfazed. “We just decided to start, and I know I’m supposed to let my Department Head, which would be you, know when I’m dating a colleague.  So, here I am, letting you know.”

“Oh, well, um, thanks,” Kingsley said, still dazed. “And, congratulations I suppose?”

“Thanks!” Tonks said brightly. “Anything else?”

“No, that should be everything.” Kingsley didn’t look like he’d know if there actually _was_ anything else.

“Alright, we’ll let you know if anything else comes up.” Tonks pulled a still recovering Harry out of Kingsley’s office.

“Mind giving me a bit of warning next time,” Harry said hoarsely once in the safety of the corridor.

Tonks gave him the evil little grin that he’d come to enjoy so much. “Not a chance, the look on your face is half the fun.”

“Oh yeah, what’s the other half?”

“The look on Kingsley’s face,” she said promptly.

“I’m sure Kingsley would appreciate hearing that,” Harry remarked.

“Oh he knows.  We’ve always teased him about how hilarious he looks when he’s surprised.”

Harry stopped her before they entered the Auror Office. “Any surprises I should expect in there?  Banners?  Announcements?  Singing telegrams?”

“My, you’re paranoid,” Tonks said, and he could see her already planning a million ways to take advantage of that.

“Just making sure I know what I’m walking into,” Harry said. “How did you want to tell the rest of the office?”

“We don’t need to make an announcement,” Tonks said, putting her hands on his shoulders. “Just let Ron know when you get the chance and word will get around.”

“Good idea.  You know there’ll be gossip for a bit, right?” he said, starting to feel a little concerned.  He wasn’t really worried for himself, he’d dealt with enough drama in his time to be fairly inoculated to it by now.  He wasn’t sure, however, how Tonks would handle being the subject of whispered conversations and speculation.

“Yes, I’m well aware of that, Harry,” she said patiently. “Like I said, I know what I’m getting into.”

“Sorry,” he said, “I just wanted to make sure.”

“And I appreciate that,” she said, planting a quick kiss on his lips. “But try to relax, it’ll be fine.  I’d guess we’ve got a least a couple weeks before word really gets out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five chapters in, and our romance has officially begun! I'll probably end up posting another chapter in the next day or two. As always, comments are welcome, I love to hear constructive feedback on my writing!


	6. A Metamorphmagus for Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I have to give a little warning before this chapter. When I was writing it, I got my timelines mixed up, and for some reason I thought Tonks was in her seventh year when Harry first started at Hogwarts. Because I can't count. I didn't realize I'd messed that up until after I'd finished writing, and by that point I kind of liked the conversation they had about it, and I'm too lazy to rewrite the whole thing. So yeah, just ignore that little canon screw up.

Harry barely had to walk through the doors the next morning to watch Tonks’s prediction come crashing down around his ears. 

As he walked through the maze of cubicles to his workspace, he was greeted by odd looks, whispered conversations, and even a catcall.  By the time he got to his desk, he was fairly sure he knew what had happened.

“Morning.  How was your night?” Ron said with a cheeky smirk as he came by Harry’s cubicle, holding a paper.

“Did you tell everyone in the office?” Harry said without preamble.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been getting weird looks from everyone I pass,” Harry said. “I assume that’s your doing.”

Ron gave him a wicked smile. “Sorry, mate, that was all you.”

“What d’you mean?” Harry asked, nonplussed.

By way of answer, Ron tossed him the paper.  Harry unfolded it to see an enormous picture of him and Tonks wrapped in each other’s arms covering almost the entire front of the page.  They were standing on the lane outside Hogsmeade where Harry had confronted her the day before.  Beneath the picture were the words “Harry Potter’s New Love: The Boy Who Lived Spotted in Hogsmeade with Auror Coworker.”

Harry stared at the picture for a full minute, struggling to process what he was seeing.  Then, frantically, he flipped open the paper to the full-length article.

_Harry Potter, 19, best known for his heroic defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named a year and a half ago, was recently spotted in Hogsmeade sharing a private moment with a young woman.  The Daily Prophet gossip column can confirm that the woman in question is none other than senior Auror Nymphadora Tonks, a member of the famed Order of the Phoenix.  Mr. Potter, who joined the Aurors as a recruit following the Battle of Hogwarts, was previously linked to Holyhead Harpies Chaser, Ginevra Weasley, although the two reportedly broke off their romance several months ago.  Sources close to Mr. Potter say-_

Harry could not bear to read what people who said they were close to him had told the _Prophet_.  He set aside the paper, feeling sick to his stomach.  He knew he had warned Tonks about this, but how would she feel about being with him once she saw herself on the cover of the paper.

“I guess you weren’t keeping an eye out for photographers, were you?” Ron said, chuckling.

“Oh bugger off!” Harry said.

Ron laughed and trotted off. “Morning, Tonks,” Harry heard him say brightly as he disappeared.

In the seconds before Tonks rounded the corner, Harry struggled frantically to come up with something to say to her.  Unfortunately, nothing occurred and a moment later she was standing in his office.

Her hair was light blue today and feathered.  She looked groggy as usual, but happier than she’d been the past week.  Harry took that to mean that she hadn’t heard the news yet.

“Wotcher, Harry,” she said with a wink.

“Hey,” Harry said. “D’you wanna sit down for a sec?”

“Sure,” she said, taking a seat next to him. “How’s your morning going?”

“Yeah, listen, about that.” Harry swiveled his chair to face her. “I know you said you were ready for whatever, but I want to make sure you’re not surprised by anything.”

“Didn’t we go over this already, Harry?” she said, yawning.

“You’re right, we did, but sometimes things happen a little faster than expected,” he hedged.

Tonks looked at him tiredly. “Harry, I’m pretty sure you know by now that I’m not the most patient person in the morning.  Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind?”

Harry hesitated for a moment before handing her the paper.  She took one look at it, then tossed it to the side.

“I already saw that,” she said at his confused look. “I get the paper in the mornings.”

“You do?” Harry asked.  She nodded, yawning again. “And you’re not, you know, freaked out?”

“Well to be honest I was hoping my first cover page would be something a bit more heroic, but I suppose this will do,” she said with a hint of her usual cheek.

“Oh, well, good then,” Harry said, a massive feeling of relief sweeping through him.

“I should get to work, Harry,” Tonks said, standing up and stretching. “Just make sure you pick something sufficiently glamorous for our first date.  I’m sure the _Prophet_ will be disappointed if they don’t get some good shots.”

She kissed him absently and left.  Harry was relieved that she wasn’t angry, but a brand-new worry had begun to blossom in his chest.  A moment later he dashed into Ron’s cubicle.

“Harry, what-?”

“Tell Hermione I need her help, and it’s really urgent!” Harry said.

“Okay,” Ron said, looking alarmed. “What’s wrong?”

“I have to figure out where to take Tonks on our first date,” Harry said, feeling as if he was going into battle.

 ***

“Aren’t we getting a little old for me to be solving all your problems, Harry?” Hermione said that evening when Harry showed up to her and Ron’s flat.

“Oh, spare me,” Harry said. “You love telling me what to do.”

Ron chuckled from his spot on the sofa.  Hermione gave him a single irritated glance before stepping back to let Harry in. “What do you need?  Ron said this was something about Tonks.”

“Yeah, I’ve got no idea what to do for our first date,” Harry said, throwing himself down into a chair across from Ron.

“Before we get to that, can we take a moment to recognize that I was right about her?” Hermione said, sitting next to Ron and arching an eyebrow at Harry.

“Yes, yes,” Harry said impatiently, “you’re the smartest, most insightful person any of us have ever known, and we’d all have been dead a long time ago if it weren’t for you, and I’ll name my first child after you in tribute, even if it’s a boy, now can we get to work, I’m seriously wigging out here!”

Ron was turning red and shaking slightly with the effort it took to keep from laughing, but Harry had no time to enjoy this.

“I’m not sure why you need my help,” Hermione said, starting to look a bit alarmed. “It’s not like Tonks is your first girlfriend, you’ve been on dates before.”

“Let’s think about that for a moment, shall we?” Harry said disparagingly. “I had one date with Cho, and how did that go again?  Oh yeah, we’ve hardly spoken since.  And then there was Ginny, who I barely saw for a year and half until we got bored of each other and split.  After that we had, oh wait that’s right, no one, because I have no idea how to date and there’s literally been no one else.  But no, you’re right, I’ve got a great track record, I shouldn’t even try this time.”

“Alright, alright,” Hermione said placatingly. “Just calm down, I’ll help you.”

“Thanks,” Harry muttered, sinking back into his chair.

“You really like her, don’t you?” Hermione said, still looking a bit scared.

Harry nodded, not even bothering to lie. “I really do, and I’d rather not screw this up on the first date.  Our first kiss was already plastered all over the _Daily Prophet_.”

Hermione winced. “How did she react to that?”

“Way better than I would have thought,” Harry recounted. “Said she knew what to expect, getting involved with me.  But then she said I’d better pick somewhere good for the first date, so the _Prophet_ gets better shots.  I dunno, d’you reckon I should do something fancy like Wand and Fork?  We could get dressed up I suppose…”

“Do you think maybe she said that as a joke?” Hermione said, interrupting his ramblings.

“Oh.  I dunno,” Harry said, brought up short.  He thought about it. “Probably.  That would definitely be her sense of humor.  She was pretty tired too.”

“So why don’t we see if we’ve got anything else to go off of before we start relying on her sleep deprived jokes for inspiration,” Hermione suggested.

“Right,” Harry said, feeling stupid again. “Good idea.”

“Good Lord you really are going crazy,” Ron said with a laugh. “You need to relax, mate.”

“Again, do I need to mention Cho?” Harry shot back.

“That was very different, Harry, and you’d realize that if you stopped for a second to think about it,” Hermione admonished. “You and Cho were a lot younger, and you’d both gone through a lot of trauma.  It’s not really a surprise that it didn’t end well.  Tonks is different though, she likes you and she’s not going to ditch you for one poorly timed comment.  So just take a deep breath, will you?”

Harry did as she instructed and found the band constricting his chest loosening a bit. “Alright,” he said more calmly, “where should we start?”

“First off,” Hermione said, getting down to business, “do you actually think Tonks would like a fancy place?”

Harry thought about it for about three seconds before reaching a conclusion. “Probably not.  She told me she hates clothes shopping, so I bet she wouldn’t have much patience for getting dressed up.”

“She might still,” Hermione said, “But maybe it’s better not to give that a try on the first date.  What else?”

Harry wracked his brain, trying to recall every conversation he’d ever had with Tonks. “I know she likes the Weird Sisters,” he said. “Are they playing any shows soon?”

“I think they’ve got a concert next weekend,” Ron said.

“She’ll probably want to do something with you before then,” Hermione said. “But that’s not a bad idea for a second date, you should see about getting tickets.”

“D’you think I’ll be able to if it’s that close?” Harry asked, concerned. “I mean, aren’t they popular?”

“For the last time, you’re Harry Potter,” Ron said, sounding irritated, “you could probably get them to play a private show if you wanted.”

“Right,” Harry said, making a mental note to work on the tickets first thing in the morning. “But that still doesn’t help with the first date.”

“I think going out to eat isn’t a bad idea,” Hermione said. “Maybe just somewhere a little less fancy.”

“We’d get mobbed,” Harry said.  He and Ginny had learned that the hard way.  Nicer restaurants would arrange private rooms, but anywhere even a little casual tended to be an invitation to be attacked by screaming fans.

“Well,” Hermione said, sounding hesitant, “you could cook for her?”

Ron looked at her as though she’d sprouted a second head. “Harry, cook?” he said incredulously.

“Didn’t you say you used to cook for the Dursleys?” Hermione said.

“Yeah, I did,” Harry said.  The memories weren’t exactly pleasant, but the idea of making something for Tonks sounded far more enjoyable. “But that was a long time ago, and I haven’t cooked very much with magic.”

“I’m sure Molly would help you,” Hermione suggested. “You could invite Tonks over on Friday, that gives you a few days to learn.”

“A few days isn’t much time to learn how to cook,” Harry said, starting to feel alarmed again.

“Harry, you learned how to cast the strongest Summoning Charm Professor Flitwick has ever seen in a single night.  I’m sure you can figure out how to make a decent meal in three days.”

“Well, I suppose,” Harry said, still uncertain.  He looked at Ron for his opinion.

Ron shrugged, looking bemused. “It’s not the worst idea.  And Hermione’s right, my mum would definitely help.”

“Alright then,” Harry acquiesced. “I’ll give it a shot.”

 ***

Mrs. Weasley was of course delighted to hear that Harry was seeing Tonks, and even more delighted to help him plan a meal for her.  Every day that week he went straight from work to the Burrow, where Mrs. Weasley gave him a crash course in magical cooking.  He then went home and practiced so late into the night that he debated taking up coffee himself.

Meanwhile the search for Alberton continued.  They were pouring over Muggle records that they had surreptitiously liberated from various Muggle banks and government offices.  It wasn’t very exciting work, but it gave Harry plenty of time to think.

The day after their pictures appeared in the paper, Harry went to see if he could procure tickets to the Weird Sisters concert.  The witch helping him nearly fainted when she saw him, and true to Ron’s prediction, it was downright easy to get seats.  Even though the concert was technically sold out, the breathless witch informed him that they always held a few seats in case ‘VIP guests’ wished to attend at the last minute.  Her manager even offered to discount Harry’s purchase if he agreed to give an endorsement of the venue, an offer he politely refused.

That same day he and Tonks resumed their practice of having lunch together.  As they sat down, Harry summoned up his courage and said, “Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Weird Sister concert next weekend?”

Tonks looked up at him, the day’s menu forgotten in her hands. “Wait, are you serious?”

“Yeah, of course, I’m serious, would you like to go?”

“Would I like – Are you kidding, of course I would!” she said excitedly. “How in the world did you get tickets this close to the concert?  Wait,” she said before he could respond, “what am I saying, you probably just showed up at the ticket office didn’t you?”

“Kind of,” he said, shifting in his seat a bit.

“Well you won’t see me complaining,” she said with a smile. “That sounds fantastic!”

“Great!” he said. “But I know that’s a ways away, so d’you feel like coming round my place this Friday for dinner?”

“I’d love to,” she said, beaming. “Where were you thinking of going?  Or is it a surprise?”

“No it’s not a surprise,” he replied. “I thought maybe I’d cook something for us.”

“You cook?” she asked, interestedly.

“A bit,” he said, trying to sound confident. “Restaurants have gotten a bit difficult these days.  I mean, we could still go out if you want,” he said hastily. “I just thought a quiet evening might be nice after that business with the _Prophet_.”

She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “That sounds perfect.”

He smiled. “Seven then?”

“It’s a date,” she said, sounding official.

For the rest of the week, Harry attempted to identify some sort of pattern in the kinds of foods Tonks preferred to eat, but her selections were so varied that he found it impossible to narrow down.  In the end he simply resolved to make as wide a spread as he could.

The big day arrived, and with it an uptick in Harry’s nerves.  Mrs. Weasley assured him he was a natural, and Ron passed along Hermione’s admonishment not to be scared, but he still wanted to the night to go well.  He was, despite what he’d said to Tonks, heavily aware of his relative youth.  He had no idea what kinds of dates she’d been on before, but assumed there had to have been at least a few pretty good ones.

Harry snuck out of the Ministry a little early that day to get prepped, and when Tonks knocked on his door at seven o’clock, he felt reasonably ready.  He’d spent the last several days cleaning his flat (the Muggle way unfortunately, having never caught the hang of magical cleaning).

“Wotcher, Harry,” Tonks said brightly, her hair a deep green today.  She took a couple steps in, then stopped abruptly. “Wow,” she remarked, looking around.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, concerned.  He’d put some work into decorating the place as well.  Golden and pink lights hovered at regular intervals around the ceiling, sparkling brightly. “Is it too much?”

“Not exactly,” she said, staring at the lights, “it’s just, um, why pink and gold?”

“Well, gold because you’re from Hufflepuff, and pink because it’s kind of my favorite color for your hair,” he explained, starting to feel a bit self-conscious.

“That’s incredibly sweet, Harry,” Tonks smiled. “But why don’t you try just the gold for a while?  The pink’s a bit, um…”

“Garish?” he finished, now starting to see what she meant.

“Just a bit,” she said quickly. 

Harry turned and waved his wand around the room, causing the pink lights to turn gold as well. “Better?” he asked anxiously, looking back at Tonks.  In the seconds he’d been looking away she had turned her hair pink again.

“I figured there should be at least some pink,” she said with a wink. “Care to show me around?”

“Sure thing,” he said, taking her hand to give her the tour.  His apartment was on the small side, but with high ceilings and a loft bedroom, overlooking large windows, which made it feel bigger.

“It’s really nice,” Tonks said, leaning against the second floor rails and looking through the windows.  He had a decent view of the London skyline, being on one of the top floors of the building. “I was always curious why you chose a Muggle property.”

“All the wizard owned places I looked at couldn’t guarantee privacy well enough,” he said, coming up to stand next to her. “I spent two months at a place and people kept leaving stuff outside my door.  That is, when they weren’t trying to break in.  At least no one here knows who I am.”

“You could’ve just used Grimmauld Place,” Tonks suggested. “They would’ve had a time bothering you there.”

“Too many memories,” Harry said shortly. “Kreacher and I keep the place from falling apart again, but I’d just as soon have nothing to do with it.”

“You still keep Kreacher around, then?” Tonks asked, a look of distaste spreading over her face.

“He’s a lot better now,” Harry insisted. “He just needed someone to be decent to him.”

“If you say so,” Tonks said neutrally. “Do you keep him around here?”

“No there’s not nearly enough for him to do.  Mostly he works at Hogwarts unless I need his help with something.”

“Have you thought about just setting him free?” she suggested.

“Yeah,” Harry admitted. “Hermione’d definitely like me to, but I worry how he’d react.  He’s awfully old after all, I’m not sure he’d handle it well.”

“I’m surprised you’d care, after what he did,” Tonks said frankly.

“I haven’t exactly forgotten,” he said honestly, “but Kreacher is what wizards made him.  He deserves better than we’ve treated him.”

Tonks looked at him intently for a moment before shaking her head. “You’re far too decent for your own good, you know that right?”

Harry grinned. “I’ve been told.”

“Well I seem to recall something about dinner,” Tonks said briskly. “And I’m starving.”

“Right,” Harry said, “I’ve got it all ready down here.”

He’d set up a small table near the kitchen, where his feast lay waiting.  He pulled out a chair for Tonks, who took it with a little curtsy, before levitating over the first courses.

“Okay, so we’ve got roasted squash and potatoes, green beans, and chicken,” he said as the dishes floated over.

“Looks great,” Tonks complimented, doling food onto her plate.  Harry stared at her as she started digging in.  Several bites into her chicken she looked up at him. “You going to join me, Harry, or you just want to watch?”

“Sorry,” Harry said, quickly taking a few rather smaller portions for himself.

“It’s very good, in case that’s what you’re worried about,” she teased him. “And I’m not discerning enough to care if it wasn’t.”

“Good to know,” Harry grinned, relaxing a bit.  They ate in silence for a few moments.

“So, pink is your favorite color for my hair?” Tonks said, that mischievous glint in her eye.

“Well, yeah,” Harry said.

“Why pink?  I thought you had a thing for redheads?” she smirked.  Harry paused long enough to give her an irritated look, which just made her giggle. “I mean imagine, the heroic Gryffindor, Harry Potter himself, has a thing for pink.”

“I do not have a thing for pink!” he said indignantly. “I just like it on you.”

“How come?” she asked, sounding genuinely curious.

He shrugged. “I dunno, it just fits.  It’s bright and fun, it always feels like you.  The first time I saw you change your hair you made it pink.  You know, back when you picked me up from the Dursleys.  That was just…cool.”

Tonks didn’t respond for a while, she just looked at him with a strange expression. “Everything okay?” Harry asked. “Chicken not cooked through?”

“No I just…” she trailed off, toying with her food for a moment. “I’m still not used to you saying such nice things all the time.”

Harry felt his face grow pleasantly warm. “I didn’t think any of that was particularly nice.”

“That’s because you haven’t had to deal with the blokes wandering around these days,” Tonks said wryly. “The last date I went on, the guy spent the first thirty minutes asking me about how big I could make my boobs.”

Harry choked on the bite of chicken he’d just taken. “There’s no way someone would do that!” he said once he’d cleared his air passages.

“Did you not believe me when I said guys are pigs around me?” Tonks raised an eyebrow at him. “Because I’ve got enough stories to last us through dinner.”

“No, I believed you,” Harry said quickly, “I just can’t get my head around…He could have at least waited until the second date.”

Tonks burst out laughing. “You don’t even want to hear some of the things people have said to me on second dates.” She sobered a little. “Sorry, I know it’s bad etiquette to talk about other dates on our first one.”

“It’s fine,” Harry told her truthfully.  It was actually making him feel a little better; regardless how bad this went, he knew he wouldn’t make that horrible a mistake.

They finished off the chicken and Tonks leaned back in her chair. “That was honestly really good, Harry.”

“You ready for the second course?” he asked, taking out his wand.

“There’s a second course?” she asked in surprise.

“Yeah,” he said eagerly, “Ham, beets, and, couscous.”

“Well bring it on,” she said.

“This is actually a Hufflepuff recipe,” Harry remarked as they loaded up their plates, Harry once again taking a much smaller portion than Tonks.

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope,” he said proudly. “I found a book with a bunch of her old recipes.”

“Not bad,” she said, nodding her head in mock respect.

“There’s actually something I’ve been curious about for a while,” Harry said as they dug in.

“What’s that?” Tonks said around a bite of ham.

“What’s the Hufflepuff common room like?  It was the only one I never saw.”

“It’s actually really cozy, it’s – wait, what did you say just now?” Tonks looked at him closely. “You’ve seen the other common rooms?”

“Yeah,” he said nonchalantly. “I mean, Gryffindor is pretty obvious, but I’ve been to Slytherin and Ravenclaw too.”

“Merlin’s beard, how?!” Her expression was astounded.

“Not normal?” he asked.

“Definitely not normal.  I spent years trying, never managed.”

“Well you tell me what it’s like, and I’ll tell you about the others,” he said.

Tonks looked at him a moment longer and shook her head. “Like I said, it’s cozy because it’s underground.  The entrance is right off the Great Hall, same way you get to the kitchens, not sure if you know where that is…?”

“Oh yeah, I used to go to visit a couple house-elf friends.”

“Of course you did.  Well it’s along that corridor.  Lots of big armchairs, and Professor Sprout puts a lot of cute plants out each week.”

“Sounds really nice,” he said.

“It is, now spill it,” she said impatiently. “How in the world did you manage to get into _two_ other common rooms?”

“In our second year someone opened the Chamber of Secrets,” Harry explained. “Did you hear about that at all?”

“They tried to keep it hush hush, but we heard a bit in the Auror Office,” she said. “I had just started that year.”

“Anyway, for a while there, Ron, Hermione, and I were convinced it was Draco Malfoy, because he was acting all happy about it,” Harry continued. “But we didn’t have any proof.  So we brewed up some Polyjuice Potion so we could impersonate his friends and get him to admit it.”

“Hold on, you brewed Polyjuice Potion?” she exclaimed.  He nodded. “In your second year?!”

“I mean, Hermione did most of it,” he said, feeling it would be dishonest to claim credit for it.

“We could be here all night,” Tonks muttered to herself. “How did you even get the ingredients?”

“We stole them out of Snape’s private stores,” he said, casually taking another bite.

Tonks just stared at him for a moment, her mouth partly open. “I can’t believe this, you lot are making me look like some kind of upstanding citizen by comparison.”

“No one ever found out about that one,” he said. “We ended up being wrong.”

“I can only imagine what Snape would have done to you if he’d caught you,” Tonks said. “So then, what was it like?”

“Bit depressing, actually.  I’m pretty sure it was under the lake, so everything was really dim.  The whole place was just stone.”

“No wonder they’re so grumpy all the time,” Tonks observed. “What about Ravenclaw?”

Harry hesitated. “That was actually right before the Battle.  I honestly didn’t get to look around much.”

“Why were you there during the Battle?” she asked quizzically.

“One of the last Horcruxes was Ravenclaw’s lost diadem,” he said, matter-of-factly, not looking up from his food. “I was trying to get some idea what it looked like.”

“I always wondered why you went back to Hogwarts that night,” Tonks said quietly. “Was it there?”

Harry shook his head. “Room of Requirement.”

“Oh, I love that room!” Tonks said, sounding chipper again. “Did I tell you about the time I pretended to be Professor Sinistra?”

And she proceeded to launch into a tale of when she had impersonated the Arithmancy teacher and put one of her classmates in detention, using the room as her fake office.  By the time she finished, Harry was feeling much more cheerful again, and they had come to end of the second course.

“It’s stew next,” he said, excitedly.

 “How many more courses do you have planned, Harry?” she asked as a ladle tipped beef stew into her bowl.

“Um, a few,” Harry said.

“A few as in one or two, or a few as in five?” Tonks clarified.

“Uh, four?” he said tentatively. “I thought you needed to eat a lot?”

“Yeah I do,” she said, “but it sounds like you’ve made enough food for the whole Weasley clan plus Hagrid.”

Harry looked over at the counter, where several quails were waiting, and just as with the lights, it felt like he was looking at the spread for the first time. “I suppose it is a bit much,” he said, his stomach sinking.

“No, it’s thoughtful,” Tonks corrected, coming around the table to run a hand through his hair affectionately. “You just wanted to do something nice for me, and you did.  It was a very nice meal.  And from the looks of it, we’ll have about four more leftover.”

Harry smiled, feeling a bit better. “Do you at least want dessert?”

“I suppose there’s always room for dessert,” Tonks said after a moment’s thought. “What are we having?”

“Coffee cake,” he said, summoning over the tray. “And ice cream.”

“Sounds delicious,” she said, resuming her seat.  Harry set a knife to slice up the cake while he portioned out ice cream.  Tonks took generous bite then paused, looking speculative. “What’s this frosting?” she asked.

“Coffee flavored,” he said, already spotting his mistake.

“And the ice cream?”

“Yeah,” he muttered, feeling stupid.

Tonks giggled. “You are far too cute when you’re embarrassed.”

Harry took a dignified bite of his cake.  It was indeed, a bit much.

After dinner they moved over to Harry’s couch, both feeling more than little stuffed.

“You know I forgot that you were at Hogwarts during my first year,” Harry mentioned as they stretched out.  Tonks laid against the arm of the sofa, setting her legs on Harry’s lap. “I always wondered what one of my years at Hogwarts looked like to other people.”

“Pretty bizarre, to be honest,” she said. “I mean once word got around that Harry Potter was at school everyone was paying attention.  We couldn’t believe it when you made Seeker.”

“Neither could I,” Harry admitted.

“You weren’t the most popular fellow after you demolished us in that Quidditch match.” She gave him a mock glare. “But we were pretty thrilled when you beat Slytherin for the House Cup.”

 “I know I was a bit preoccupied that year, but I swear I would have noticed you,” he said.

“You might not have, actually,” she replied. “I wasn’t doing as much with my appearance back then.”

“How come?” he asked curiously.

“I was a lot more self-conscious.  Most of the girls in my year couldn’t stand that I could look however I wanted.” Her tone was casual, but Harry sensed some tension. “I tried looking normal so they’d like me more.  Didn’t really work”

Having had some experience with being treated different, Harry could sympathize.  He laid a hand on her knee and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Sorry.”

She shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.  I started feeling more comfortable once I became an Auror.  Mad-Eye always told me to never bother with what other people thought of me.”

“Kinda hard to imagine him as the comforting type,” Harry joked.

“He had his moments.  Very few and far between, but still.”

“That reminds me actually,” he said, “you’ve never told me why you decided to become an Auror.”

Tonks seemed to ponder the question for a bit. “I suppose there wasn’t any single reason.  I was a good student, so it was always on the table.  They came recruiting towards the end of my seventh year and I guess I kind of caught their attention.  I knew they were mainly interested in the fact that I was a Metamorphmagus, but I remember thinking that maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing if I could use it for something meaningful.  And then…well,” she hesitated. “You know about my mum’s side of the family.  I guess I hoped I could make up for some of what they’d done.”

“And you keep telling me not to put too much on myself,” Harry observed wryly.

She gave a self-deprecating smile. “Maybe I’m trying to convince myself a bit too.”

“It’s hardly your fault what your relatives have done,” Harry said, thinking of the Dursleys.

“I know that logically, but it’s another things to believe it.  You can’t imagine growing up knowing someone like Bellatrix Lestrange is your aunt.  I mean, we were friends with the Longbottoms.  They used to bring me sweets when I was little.”

Harry winced. “I don’t imagine they blame you for that.”

“Oh no, of course not,” Tonks said quickly. “In fact it was my mum who put the Aurors on to who actually did it.  But still, it was always hard to look Augusta in the eye after that.”

Harry frowned. “How did your mum know it was Bellatrix?  I thought the family wouldn’t talk to her once she married your dad?”

“Well, she got a bit devious,” Tonks said with a glint in her eye. “Apparently Bellatrix had a real thing for the Longbottoms; Frank and Alice were at Hogwarts with her and they hated each other.  She used to say the most horrible things to my mum and Narcissa about them.  So, after the attack my mum reached out to them.  She told them she’d made a mistake marrying my dad and wanted to make up.”

“You’re kidding?” Harry said with an incredulous laugh. “And they bought that?”

“Didn’t even bat an eyelash,” Tonks smirked. “It only took two dinners before Bellatrix was boasting about the whole thing.  Gave a very thorough recounting.  Next day, the Aurors were knocking on the door.”

Despite the morbid topic Harry couldn’t help letting out a full belly laugh, which Tonks joined after a moment. “Remind me never to make your mum angry.”

“You definitely wouldn’t like it,” Tonks grinned. “Speaking of which, she wants to meet you.”

“She wants to meet _me_?” Harry repeated stupidly.

“Soon,” Tonks confirmed.

“But we’ve already met.”

Tonks gave him an exasperated look. “You crashed into their garden, drew your wand on her when you woke up, then hopped a Portkey out.  Not exactly the most ideal first impression.”

“It was kind of a crazy evening,” Harry reminded her.

“And she knows that,” Tonks said calmly, “Now she wants to get properly acquainted with you.”

“Isn’t it a little soon?” he said. “Technically this is our first date.”

Tonks shrugged. “She’s been a little overprotective the last year and a half.  You can guess why.”

Harry wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel about meeting his girlfriend’s mother this early.  His only real relationship hadn’t involved this particular hurdle, given that he’d already been living with his previous girlfriend’s family for about seven years.

“We’ll play it by ear,” Tonks promised. “But I can only put her off for so long.  You can probably tell she’s a bit persistent.”

“If she’s anything like you, I can imagine,” Harry said.  She gave him a playful slap on the shoulder.

They spent several minutes in pleasant silence before Tonks stretched languorously and sat up, giving Harry a delightful view as she did so. “It’s getting late, I should probably head home,” she said.

“You could stay,” Harry said, trying not to sound too glum.  Of course, Tonks saw right through the attempt.  She leaned forward and gave him a long, gentle kiss.

“I really want to,” she admitted when she pulled back. “But it’s probably a little early in the relationship for that.”

Harry’s face immediately grew hot. “I didn’t mean to imply…I mean you could stay over if you want, and I could take the couch.”

Tonks silenced him with another kiss. “Relax, Harry, I’m just teasing you.  You’ll have to get used to that, you know.”

“I’ll do my best,” he said numbly.  Everything felt confused and fuzzy now, and they made it all the way to the door before his brain kicked back in. “You could come back tomorrow if you want,” he suggested. “Turns out I have a lot of extra food.”

He was rewarded by his now favorite beaming smile. “I’d love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'd like to ask a favor of anyone following along so far. As I mentioned at the beginning, the plan was always for this story to feature a lot of sexual content. That's partially because that's most of what I write, including how I first started this story. The original prompt was to write an unusual pair smut fic featuring a more experienced woman with a less experienced man. I settled on Tonks and Harry, and the story grew up around that idea as I tried to think about how the relationship would have developed. And as it turns out, we are rapidly approaching said filthy content.
> 
> However, I now have some concern that a transition into an intensely sexual story would feel a bit jarring or odd. I'd love to hear other's thoughts about this. I think that the sexual element of their relationship (apart from being fun to write because I'm a deviant like that) is an important part of their character development. But if that makes folks reading this story feel uncomfortable, I'm willing to consider editing future chapters to be a little more tame. Of course, this would probably mean more time between chapters, as I'd have to do a fair bit of rewriting. Alternatively, I could try posting a clean version, and a dirty version of chapters that currently feature sex. Let me know what you think down in the comments!


	7. The Weird World of Harry Potter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got some fantastic responses to my request after the last chapter. Thank you everyone who took the time to share your thoughts and feedback, I really appreciate it. Folks had some very insightful input and suggestions on directions for the story. On reflection, I've decided to press forward and post the story more or less as originally written. While I think some of the comments about stretching out the build up are well founded, I unfortunately don't have the time to write new chapters at the moment. Hopefully that doesn't detract too much from the pacing of Tonks and Harry's romance.
> 
> So with that out of the way, let the shameless smut commence!

It ended up taking the rest of the weekend to finish off the absurd amount of food Harry had prepared, although he did make a couple new, slightly less coffee forward desserts.  Each day Tonks got there earlier and stayed later, with the result that by the time she left his flat on Sunday it was well past midnight.  Monday morning Harry turned up at work in a haze of happiness and exhaustion.

“Blimey, you look like you’ve been up all night,” Ron said as he stopped by Harry’s desk.  He gave a lecherous grin. “Did it go that well?”

“Oh shut it.” Harry threw a crumpled up memo at Ron, although he couldn’t help smiling as well.

“Well come on, what was it like?” Ron asked eagerly, albeit quietly.

“Nothing like that happened,” Harry said. “She came over, we ate, we talked, that’s it.”

“That’s it?” Ron repeated doubtfully, “Then why’re you turning up looking like the day after an Astronomy test?”

“Because I ended up making a bit too much food, so she came over Saturday and Sunday too,” Harry said a bit defensively.

“Let me get this straight,” Ron said, looking like he couldn’t believe his ears, “You spent the entire weekend with a girl at your place, and you just talked?”

“Pretty much,” Harry nodded.

Ron sighed, looking deeply disappointed. “Alright, but I swear you better tell me as soon as something _does_ happen.”

“Why are you so interested?” Harry asked.

“Because I’m dying here,” Ron said. “I could never talk to you about this kind of stuff when you were with my sister.  Now you’re finally with someone who I’m not related to, I wanna know what it’s like.”

“We’ll see,” Harry said skeptically. “But just so we’re clear, what I said still stands.  You ever tell me anything about Hermione and I promise they’ll never find your body.”

“Okay, okay, message received,” Ron said, backing away with his hands up. “My lips are sealed.” He beat a hasty retreat, but before Harry could turn to his work, Tonks showed up.  She looked just as tired as he felt.

“Did I hear you threatening Ron just now?” Tonks asked curiously.

“Oh yeah, that was nothing,” Harry said dismissively.

Tonks arched an eyebrow. “Some sort of friend thing I don’t know about?  Is that how I’ll know you really like me, when you start talking about hiding my body?”

“It’s nothing like that,” Harry explained. “When Ron and Hermione first got together I told Ron I never wanted to hear about what they get up to on their own time.  Ron likes to brag.”

“I thought a lot of guys did,” Tonks observed. “Not your kind of thing?”

“Definitely not when the girl in question is one of my oldest friends,” Harry said fervently.

“Good to know,” Tonks said, and even through a haze of sleep deprivation Harry recognized the look in her eye.

“Oh no,” he said in dismay, “What are you planning?”

“Me?” she said innocently. “No idea what you’re talking about, Harry.  You should really get better sleep.” She winked at him. “See you at lunch.”

And she left Harry wondering how this was going to come back at him.

 ***

But if Tonks was planning some elaborate prank, she was apparently too busy to put it into practice that week.  The search for Alberton, which had been proceeding painstakingly slowly, was finally starting to yield some results.

Following up on Harry’s hunch, Tonks was focusing the investigation on Alberton’s family, specifically their finances.  Same as in the Muggle world, Aurors lived by the motto, ‘follow the money.’  Unfortunately for Harry, this meant that he was spending most of his days pouring over dense financial statements that he was in no way qualified to interpret.  He was practically living in the Muggle Relations Office most days, which luckily had a few employees who were familiar with the Muggle business world.

Thursday at lunch he gave Tonks an update on his progress.

“Alberton’s parents are investors,” he told her while she dug into an almost comically large bowl of pasta. “It’s really complicated, and I don’t quite understand it, but basically they bet on how well a business or company does, and if they’re right then, they get money.”

“So it’s gambling?” Tonks said.

“Essentially, but apparently Muggles think it’s more respectable or something.”

“Muggles are weird,” Tonks remarked.

“Yeah they are,” Harry agreed fervently. “Anyway, like McGonagall said, they’re absurdly rich.  And get this, because of the kinds of investments they have, they stand to lose a lot of money if Brook gets his bill passed.”

Tonks looked up from her food in excitement. “That’s huge, Harry!  That’s the first solid connection we’ve had between Alberton and Brook.”

“There’s more,” Harry went on. “Ron’s been going through the Muggle papers for the last few months, and it doesn’t look like the Albertons ever took a public position on the Brook legislation, even though they’ve been very vocal about similar bills in the past.”

“Almost as if they didn’t want to draw attention to themselves,” Tonks speculated.

“That’s what I thought,” Harry said. “Of course it’s possible they don’t know anything.  Ian might have just warned them to keep quiet and not told them what he’s planning.  But…”

“We can’t take the chance that they weren’t in on it too,” Tonks finished. “Really well done, Harry!  I’ll take this to Kingsley and see if we can get approval to question them.”

Harry beamed. “And we’re still on for tomorrow, right?”

“Unless another war starts tonight there’s no way I’d miss it.”

 ***

Tonks brought Harry’s findings to Kingsley, who agreed to authorize their request to question the Albertons, albeit reluctantly. “He’s not actually opposed to the idea,” Tonks told Harry. “It’s just a lot of paperwork.” He estimated it would take a few days to get proper approval from the Wizengamot.  Until that occurred, he ordered them to continue investigating the Alberton’s financial dealings.

In the meantime, Harry was anticipating his upcoming concert date with Tonks, the first time they would properly go out as a couple.  He was feeling a lot more confident now than he had the week prior.  The longer he spent with Tonks, the more comfortable he grew that she wasn’t just going to ditch him at a moment’s notice.  He _was_ a bit concerned about the attention they would draw attending the concert; there was simply no way the _Prophet_ wouldn’t pick up on that one.

Tonks however, exhibited no similar fears.  On the contrary, she grew visibly more excited as Friday wore on.  She spent the whole of lunch talking about her favorite Weird Sisters songs, evidently not noticing the fact that her hair changed color four times.  Her enthusiasm was rubbing off on Harry, who, despite the fact that he had no prior interest in the band, was anticipating the concert more and more.

After agreeing to pick up Tonks at her apartment at eight, Harry went back to his desk to finish up some work, then headed home to get ready.  This took a little longer than he expected once he got back to his flat and realized he had no idea what one was supposed to wear to a wizard rock concert.

He spent a frankly indecent amount of time trying on different outfits, from dress robes, to a Muggle suit and tie, before finally deciding to just go casual in jeans, a t-shirt, and jacket.  He still managed to arrive at Tonks’s apartment with a few minutes to spare.

She answered on the first knock, practically bouncing up and down.  Harry was immediately thankful for his choice in wardrobe, for Tonks had gone casual as well.  She was wearing her Weird Sisters shirt and jeans that were even more ripped than usual.  Her hair was pure black and spiked longer than normal as well; the whole look reminding Harry quite a bit of Muggle rock bands he’d seen on television.

“Is it time to go yet?” she said excitedly.

“We’ve got a couple minutes,” Harry said, checking his watch. “I don’t think they open the doors until eight-fifteen or so.”

“Might as well hang out here then,” Tonks said, ushering him inside.

“Do I get a tour?” he asked, stepping into her living room and looking around.  To his surprise it was very tidy, the almost polar opposite of her office at the Ministry.  Her apartment seemed smaller than his, but homier.  She had pictures and pieces of art on the wall and knick-knacks adorning bookshelves.  It made his loft look spartan by comparison.

“It’s an apartment,” Tonks said absently, skipping around the room. “Kitchen, bedroom, bathroom,” she listed off, waving an absent hand at a couple doorways.

“You made me show you around my place,” Harry objected.

“Oh fine, snoop around if you like,” she acquiesced, “Just don’t spend too long in my underwear drawer.”

“I’ll do my best,” Harry said with a grin.

The rest of her flat was similarly comfy.  Looking at her decorations, the care she’d put into the place, it made him realize how much his loft felt unlived in.  It was a surprising realization, and one that concerned him a bit.  He put that out of his mind for the time being but resolved to think it over later.

He managed to resist peaking at her underwear drawer, although with considerable difficulty after she’d put the idea in his head.

When he returned to the living room, Tonks was still pacing around the couch, glancing at the clock on the wall every few seconds. “You done peeking at my unmentionables?” she said the moment she saw him. “Time to go yet?”

Harry laughed.  It was still a bit early, but he decided it was probably better to get moving.

They Apparated to an alley just outside the Muggle stadium where the concert was being held.  An enormous crowd milled outside the venue, the wizards easily distinguishable from the Muggles by their varying lack of dress sense.  As they passed a Muggle couple, Harry distinctly heard one of them say, “Was this a costume concert?”

“How do they arrange this?” Harry asked Tonks, curious at the mixed crowd.

“Two separate spaces,” Tonks answered absently, peering at the entrance to see if the doors had opened yet. “One door leads to the normal stadium, the other leads to one the Ministry set up.”

“Is that an Extension Charm or a just a glamour?”

“Absolutely no idea, Harry, and honestly I don’t care a whole lot right now,” Tonks said, hopping up and down in anticipation.

Harry didn’t take any offense, too pleased that Tonks was so excited.  He became suddenly aware that she was not wearing a jacket however, despite the late fall chill. “D’you need a coat?” he asked, moving to take his off.

Tonks shook her head, not even looking at him. “I can regulate temperature better than you.  Takes a lot to get me cold.”

“Good to know,” he remarked, shrugging the jacket back on.

“What’s taking so long?” Tonks whined impatiently.  No sooner had she spoken however, than the doors to the stadium opened.  A collective cry of excitement went up, which Tonks echoed enthusiastically.

As they shuffled toward the dedicated magical entrance, people started to give Harry curious glances, but luckily they were much more interested in getting into the concert.  All that changed however once they actually made it inside.

When they reached the doors, the ticket checker tipped Harry a wink and ushered him in.  A moment later they found themselves in a warm, colorfully lit lobby that was certainly much different than the Muggle version.  Harry had a glimpse of magical vendors wandering the space before a series of bright camera flashes blinded him.

“Mr. Potter, look over here!”

“Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter!”

“Mr. Potter, is it true Ginny Weasley tried to curse you?!”

“Ms. Tonks, what’s it like to date Witch Weekly’s most desirable bachelor?!”

Harry had expected a bit of a scene, but he was totally unprepared for the sheer volume of photographers and reporters who swarmed them the moment they passed through the doors.  He blinked under the onslaught of dozens of camera flashes, his brain completely fogged over.  Tonks seemed to have slightly better composure, smiling and waving a bit, but she clutched Harry’s arm rather tightly all the same.

“Make way, make way!” an official sounding voice echoed through the gaggle of journalists, and a moment later a harried looking wizard forced his way through the crowd.  Behind him were several burly men who began pushing back the group, giving them a little space. “Mr. Potter, I’m very sorry for the inconvenience.  If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to your seats.”

Guarded by the bouncers, the little wizard led them to a roped off staircase along the side of the lobby.

“Thanks,” Harry said fervently. “Wasn’t expecting that.”

“Yes, they’re like vultures aren’t they,” the wizard said disdainfully. “Of course, our ticketing agent should have brought you through the VIP entrance, not this way.”

“Maybe someone slipped him a Sickle to send us in with the rest of the crowd,” Tonks suggested with a smirk.

The wizard scowled. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

He led them along a tunnel for a ways before emerging less than five rows in front of the stage.  He then directed them to a couple of very roomy, very comfortable looking seats in the middle of the second row.

“Here you are,” he said. “We have several house-elves standing by in case you need anything to eat or drink, and a private vendor is set up right over there,” he pointed to a little booth off to the side of the seats, “in case you want to purchase any merchandise.  We very much hope you enjoy the show.” And with a little bow he hurried back off.

Harry and Tonks were left standing in the middle of the row, looking around at the plush VIP section.  For once Tonks was just as stunned as Harry.

“Did you know you were getting the fanciest seats in the house?” she asked him as they sat down.  They were indeed as comfortable as they looked.

“I kind of figured they were being polite,” Harry said. “Or trying to take advantage of me.  They tried to get me to give them some kind of endorsement.”

“For accommodations like this I’d give them a whole essay,” Tonks remarked as she reclined luxuriously in her seat.

The rows around them gradually filled up, and to Harry’s amazement he recognized most of the people.  A senior Ministry official sat next to them, the Chaser for the Tornadoes behind, and, incredibly, Seamus Finnigan in front of them.

“Hiya Harry!” he said, leaning over the back of his seat to shake Harry’s hand enthusiastically. “Fancy seeing you here!”

“You’re a VIP guest too?” Harry asked, bemused.

“You bet!  These places love having members of Dumbledore’s Army join,” he said happily, holding up the coin they had used for communication at Hogwarts. “Didn’t know you were a fan of the Sisters?”

“I’m expanding my tastes,” Harry said airily.

“Yeah, sure.  Nice to see you, Tonks,” he said with a grin.

“You too Seamus,” she grinned back. “You sure you don’t mind being here?” she asked Harry, a note of concern in her voice, as Seamus turned his attention to the stage.

“Of course not,” he said, put off by the question. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Apparently you’re not the concert going type,” she observed. “Which I probably would have noticed if you hadn’t distracted me with Weird Sisters tickets.”

“Depends entirely on the company,” he said. “Besides, how do I know if I like concerts if I don’t ever go to one?”

“You’re sweet,” she said, taking his hand. “I can’t wait for it to get started!”

“Might be a little while,” he cautioned. “We got here pretty early.”

“Distract me then,” she ordered him. “What was that coin Seamus showed you?  Just looked like a Galleon to me, but it seemed important.”

“Oh, that’s a good story, actually,” Harry said happily, and he proceeded to explain the origin of the D.A. coins to Tonks, including how they’d been used to avoid the Carrows during their ill-fated reign. “In any case, from what I’ve heard they’re a bit of a badge these days.”

“So you’re saying every one of your classmates has been taking advantage of their fame for at least a year before you figured it out,” Tonks said with a chuckle.

“Honestly never had a reason to,” Harry said, squeezing her hand.

At that moment an enormous scream went up around the stadium.  Harry looked up and saw eight rather hairy wizards troupe out onto the stage and take up their instruments.  Tonks leapt to her feet, as had the rest of the crowd.  Feeling it would be silly to be the only one seated, Harry joined her.

The lead singer, whom Harry recognized from their performance at the Yule Ball in Harry’s fourth year, put the tip of his wand to his throat, and a moment later his voice rang out throughout the stadium.

“GOOD EVENING LONDON! ARE YOU READY!”

The responding roar was equally deafening.

“THEN LET’S GET THIS STARTED!”

The concert passed in a blur for Harry.  He realized that, preoccupied as he’d been during the Yule Ball, he had not actually listened to the Weird Sister’s music at all.  Now that his attention was a bit more focused, he found he liked them quite a bit.  They were certainly unlike any Muggle band he’d ever heard, and while he could not yet sing along to half the songs the way Tonks did, he joined her in jumping up and down and pumping his fist at several of the more raucous songs.

Tonks was practically beside herself the entire night.  She grabbed Harry’s arm in excitement every time she recognized a song, which was invariably each one they played.  A couple times, after jumping up and down a little too enthusiastically, Harry noticed her physically growing, and had to remind her to shrink down so as to avoid blocking the view of those behind them.

It was a fantastic experience, accentuated by a series of rather incredible magical pyrotechnics that Harry was sure no Muggle concert could match.

By the time the last booming chord sounded, Harry was quite sure he’d gone deaf, but didn’t mind at all.  Tonks seized him around the neck and kissed him rather enthusiastically before breaking off to give another hollering cheer.

They wandered up the row, Harry feeling rather drunk despite not having had a single drink the whole time.  However, when they made it to the end, they found their way blocked by the small wizard who had shown them to their seats.

“Mr. Potter, I do hope you enjoyed the show,” he said serenely, appearing much more composed than when they’d first seen him.

“Quite a bit!” Harry said, his voice hoarse from shouting.  Tonks’s delight seemed too great for words.

“I’m very glad to hear that,” the wizard said. “If you’re amenable, the band has requested to meet you.”

“Meet…me?” Harry repeated, nonplussed.  Tonks clasped her hands over her mouth.

“Indeed, when they heard that Harry Potter would be attending the concert, they insisted that I pass on the request.  Of course, your lovely friend would be more than welcome to join you,” he added, inclining his head towards Tonks.

“What d’you think?” he asked Tonks, whose face was still partially obscured.  She nodded rather meekly. “Sure, why not?” he said to the organizer.

“Wonderful, if you’ll follow me this way.”

The wizard marched them to the stage and walked right through the base as if it weren’t there.  Following him, Harry and Tonks emerged in a lavishly appointed staging area.  The various members of the band were lounging in chairs or along a bar set into one wall.  They were all chatting or sipping drinks, looking rather sweaty and tired, but they looked up as Harry and Tonks appeared.

For a brief moment, no one said anything.  Then someone, Harry couldn’t tell if it was Tonks, a member of the band, or both, let out a loud squeal, and they converged on each other.

“Merlin’s beard, I can’t believe it’s actually you!” the drummer exclaimed, wringing Harry’s hand.

“Are you kidding?” he said, “I can’t believe you wanted to meet us.  You know I saw you all play at Hogwarts during my fourth year?”

That sent them into transports of delight and general incoherency reigned for a few minutes.

“We’re just really honored you came tonight,” the lead singer said breathlessly. “I mean, well it’s you, isn’t it?”

Harry shrugged modestly, feeling more awkward than ever at having an incredibly famous band fawn over him.  He attempted to draw attention away from himself by introducing Tonks, who seemed to be having trouble forming coherent sentences.

“I’m a huge fan!” she said breathlessly. “I got to see you all play in Glasgow ten years ago, and I couldn’t believe it!”

Eventually, once it became clear that the admiration was mutual, the band, Harry, and Tonks calmed down a bit, and they were able to enjoy an engaging conversation.

“Sorry about that greeting,” one of the guitar players said to Harry over drinks while Tonks interrogated the cello player. “We all promised we wouldn’t do that, but, you know.”

“It’s alright,” Harry said with a wry smile. “You’re not exactly the firsts.”

“You never quite get used to it, do you?” the guitarist said, and Harry was struck by the fact that of anyone, the most popular wizarding band in Britain probably understood what that was like.

They didn’t leave until very late, and only after they’d been pressed with tickets to the next concert and made to promise that they’d make an appearance at their Christmas party in a month’s time.

“I can’t believe we got to meet them,” Tonks kept saying as they left the stadium.  The reporters and photographers had long since departed, so they were able to walk out without being accosted. “Are you sure you had a good time?”

“Are you serious?” Harry said, “It was amazing!  And they were really cool blokes.”

“Weren’t they?” she gushed. “And they wanted to see us again and everything.  Oh my god, I can’t believe I made such a fool out of myself, but I just couldn’t help it.  Did you hear what the cellist said to me about…”

This continued all the way back to the alley, where they Apparated back to Tonks’s apartment, up her hallway, and into her living room, where she continued bouncing around the room.

“I just can’t believe it.  Thank you, Harry, thank you so much!” she gushed.  And then she turned, threw herself into his arms, and kissed him.

Harry was taken aback, both by the timing and ferocity of the kiss.  They’d gotten in quite a bit of practice snogging since they started dating, but this was something else entirely.  There was urgency and raw need in the way that Tonks moved her mouth against his.  The tip of her tongue traced his lips until he parted them to taste her.  All the while her hands bunched at the back of his head, keeping him pressed tightly against her.

He’d never thought of Tonks as being particularly reserved, but now he realized that their previous interactions had been downright chaste.  As he began to recover from his shock and properly return the kiss she took it up a notch by moaning slightly, causing his heart to start racing.  She was so close, every inch of her body pushed up against him.  Her shirt had ridden up a bit, and his hands were resting on the small of her back.  That, coupled with the pure lack of restraint with the way her tongue was now exploring his mouth, produced a rather embarrassing response.

Harry tried to shift his hips so she wouldn’t notice how excited she had gotten him, but apparently he wasn’t quick enough.  She broke the kiss, but didn’t draw back.  Instead she pressed her lips against his jaw, kissing her way up to the top of his neck.  Each feathery touch of her lips sent a little jolt down Harry’s spine, causing him to gasp.

When she reached his ear, she gave it a little nibble before whispering, “You don’t have to be such a gentleman, Harry, you can let your hands wander a little.”

His heart skipped a beat at the words, but he wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity.  Since they were already resting on the small of her back, he took the opportunity to run them higher.  She didn’t object as his fingers slipped beneath the hem of her shirt and continued exploring inch after inch of smooth, creamy skin.  She did resume kissing his neck though, causing him to shudder a bit.

He got another surprise as his hands wandered higher, expecting to run across the strap of a bra at any point, only to find nothing but skin.

“Are you not wearing a bra?” he asked breathlessly.

Tonks shook her head. “No underwear either.  You can check if you like.”

Without consciously telling them to do so, Harry found his hands sliding down her back to the top of her baggy, low slung jeans.  He was sure he’d never been this nervous in his life, but he couldn’t bring it in him to stop as the tips of his fingers glided down underneath the coarse fabric.  As promised, he found nothing but firm, delightful flesh under his palm.

Tentatively, he gave a light squeeze.  Tonks gasped and pulled away from his neck.  Harry winced, prepared for her to get angry, but the look she gave him was beyond smoldering.  He didn’t realize it was possible to convey that much desire with just a look.

“D’you want to go into the bedroom?” she asked, her voice husky.  Her eyes promised him indescribable pleasure if he agreed.

Harry’s brain was struggling to catch up, he kept getting distracted by little sensations like how soft the skin of her waist was under his hands, or the feeling of her breasts crushed against his chest.

“Oh um…” Truthfully, he very much did want to follow her into the bedroom, but he was cognizant, more than ever of his relative lack of experience.  Still, now didn’t seem to be the time to bring that up. “Yeah, absolutely.”

As usual he did not do an effective job hiding his emotions from her.  She leaned back a little, her grip on him loosening, and some of the lust in her eyes faded, to be replaced by concern.

“Wait a second, are you a virgin, Harry?” she asked bluntly.

Harry winced, having feared this question. “Well no, not exactly.”

She peered at him. “What d’you mean, not exactly?”

“I’ve had sex,” Harry said, his face burning with the admission. “A few times.”

“Oh, goodness,” she muttered. “Hold on a sec.”

Tonks took a deep shuddering breath and closed her eyes.  As he watched, she shrank a few inches and her hair faded from spiky black to its natural curly brown.  When she opened her eyes she looked a bit calmer, although he noticed she was still slightly flushed.

“Come over here, Harry, we need to talk.” She disentangled herself from him and led them both over the sofa.  She seated Harry at one end and herself on the other, a clear foot of space between them.  Harry was beginning to feel rather miserable, figuring Tonks must be thinking of him like a child.

“I’m sorry I jumped you like that, Harry,” she said, running a hand through her hair. “I just got really excited and I wasn’t thinking.”

“I didn’t mind,” he said honestly.

She gave a quick smile. “That’s good to hear, but before we actually do anything, it would be better if we talked.”

“About what?” he said, not understanding where this was going.

“About ourselves,” Tonks said. “Our experiences, our likes, dislikes, that sort of thing.”

“Oh, alright then,” he said, and before he could stop himself he added. “That’s really necessary?” He didn’t quite see what there was to talk about, sex wasn’t exactly that complicated, was it?

“I didn’t used to think so, but after a couple bad relationships, trust me, I realized how critical it is,” Tonks said.

“I believe you,” Harry said, still apprehensive.  His relationships hadn’t broken down because of sex.  Although to be fair he only had two examples to draw from. “What do we do then?”

“I’ll start,” Tonks said, looking more nervous than he’d ever seen her. “Just give me a second to collect my thoughts.”

Harry nodded and she closed her eyes.  He took the opportunity to let his gaze wander.  She was still breathing rather hard, and Harry’s attention was drawn to the way the fabric of her shirt poked out just a bit at the tips of her breasts.  How on earth had it taken him so long to notice she wasn’t wearing a bra?  Of course, thinking about that also reminded him of what else she wasn’t wearing, and he recalled that brief, tantalizing moment of contact with her bottom.  He found himself growing a bit uncomfortable in his jeans again and shifted, hoping she wouldn’t notice.

“Okay,” she said, opening her eyes and bounding to her feet, seemingly unable to stay still.  He remembered how she’d prowled the room before the concert, but there was a different energy to this pacing, something less giddy and more primal. “Here’s the thing, Harry.  I suppose I should have talked to you about this before, but I like sex.  Quite a bit actually.”

“Well, doesn’t everyone?” Harry remarked with a slight grin.

“No, you don’t get it,” she said, continuing to pace. “I mean I _really_ like sex.  Like a lot.  I’m kind of surprised I managed to wait this long, I’ve been wanting to shag you since about five minutes into our first dinner.”

Despite his confusion, Harry couldn’t help but feel a little pleased with himself.

“Because of my abilities, I never had the problems with sex that a lot of other girls go through,” she went on, continuing to pace. “My first time was actually pretty brilliant, didn’t hurt at all.  You can imagine how much my housemates loved that when they found out.  I also come really easily too.  And I can adjust to handle pretty much any size a bloke is working with, big or small.”

She stopped pacing to stand right in front of him. “I just feel like, before we get any farther, you should know that sex is a really important part of relationships for me,” Tonks said without looking directly at him. “I like having a lot of sex, and I like having a lot of different _kinds_ of sex too.”

“Like what?” Harry asked, cautiously curious.

“Well I can go for pretty much any position you can think of,” Tonks elaborated. “Rough, gentle, it all gets me off.  I’m a big fan of oral, giving and getting,” she clarified with a suggestive wink. “And I kind of have a thing for exhibitionism.  You know, getting it on in public and stuff like that.”

She said this last part while looking at the floor, her face red, as though embarrassed.  The idea of having sex in public had honestly never occurred to Harry, but he immediately decided it sounded like one of the most brilliant things in the world.

Before he could find a way to articulate this, Tonks picked back up her train of thought. “I also like using my abilities in bed too.”

This confused Harry, given their prior discussions. “I thought you said you didn’t like guys asking you to change stuff?”

“That’s because they always want me to be someone else, either a girl they fancy, or some generic bimbo.  It’s like…” she seemed to search for the right words. “They want to be in charge of what I change, but it’s my body, _I_ want to be in control of how I look.  I like making myself taller or shorter, or curvier depending on what we’re doing, but I’d like it to be _my_ choice, not someone else’s.  D’you know what I mean?”

Before Harry could say he completely understood, she ploughed on. “The problem is, a lot of guys take the fact that I like sex and I get into it to mean that I’m some kind of slut.  They think I’ll do whatever they want, and then they get angry when they find out I have boundaries.  That’s really why I wanted to have this conversation, so you know what I’m up for, and you can decide if that’s not what you want.”

She threw herself back down on the couch, having finally exhausted herself.  She ran her hands across her face before looking up at him tentatively.  For his part, Harry finally caught on to the fact Tonks was quite nervous.  It actually sounded as though she was self-conscious.  This took Harry a few moments to wrap his head around.  She was worried about how he’d react.

“To be honest, Tonks,” he said, choosing his words with care, “I can’t hardly believe I get to be with you at all.  I couldn’t imagine wanting someone different when I’ve got you.  And I know I’m not the most sensitive bloke in the world, but I think I know better than to ask you to be someone you’re not.”

“So you’re not going to suddenly ask me to grow red hair and put on a Quidditch uniform?” Tonks asked.  She tried to make it sound like a joke, but he heard the very real concern behind the question.

“Merlin’s beard, no!” he exclaimed. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like Ginny’s hideous or anything, but if I wanted her, I wouldn’t be with you.”

Tonks let out a long sigh. “You honestly have no idea how much better that makes me feel.  Thank you, Harry.” She leaned forward and took one of his hands.

“Anytime,” he smiled at her. “So are there any others things I shouldn’t ask you to do?”

Tonks thought for a moment. “Well, I can do anal if you’re really into that sort of thing, but I’m not too fussed with it honestly.  Also don’t get to much into bondage, although I don’t mind a little spanking once in a while,” she smirked at him, “but don’t start breaking out torture devices or anything.  Same goes for peeing, and stuff like that, really not my cup of tea.  I don’t mind if you want to come on me once in a while though, that can be fun depending on the mood…”

Harry’s heart leapt straight into his throat; was that a thing?  Tonks was luckily too distracted to take note.

“Roleplaying is also fine as long as it doesn’t involve me actually turning into someone else, probably no surprise there.  But honestly, as long as you don’t start getting all controlling I’m up for quite a bit.  And I guess you should know, I have been told that my dirty talk could make a guy go off without me even touching him,” she finished with a self-satisfied grin.

“Good to know,” Harry said hoarsely.

Tonks leaned back against the arm of the sofa. “Thank you for listening to me, Harry, it was seriously a huge relief.” She straightened up a bit. “So what about you?  What do you get into?”

“Oh, I dunno,” Harry said blankly, frankly alarmed at being asked.  He genuinely hadn’t known that there were so many ways to have sex until Tonks’s speech.  His personal experience looked all the more paltry by comparison.

“You don’t have to be shy,” Tonks said kindly. “I’m guessing Ginny was your first?”

Harry nodded.

“Now was she first going all the way, or did you do anything with previous girlfriends?” she asked solicitously.

“No, it was just her,” Harry muttered.

“Alright, so what kinds of things did you get up to?” she asked.  When Harry hesitated, she said, “Come on now, I just gave you the most personal rundown I could imagine, you’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“We really didn’t end up doing that much,” Harry said.

“You said you slept together a few times, right?” Tonks asked.  Harry nodded. “So, what was it like?  What did you enjoy?”

Harry resigned himself to the humiliation he was about to experience. “Well, I was on top a couple times, and then Ginny was once.  I suppose I liked both.”

Tonks’s eyebrows rose, and he could tell she was restraining herself from making a joke with great difficulty. “Not that good then?”

“I’m not sure, I don’t have much to compare it with,” Harry said morosely. “It felt awkward.  Neither of us knew what we were doing.”

“I’m sorry, Harry,” she said sympathetically. “It’s not that unusual, though, first times tend to be a bit awkward.”

“Ron and Hermione ran right past that stage,” Harry griped.

“It usually helps when both people are in the same county,” Tonks remarked. “Mind you, not that I’m complaining; if Ginny hadn’t become a Quidditch star I wouldn't get to be sitting here with you.”

“Something tells me it wouldn’t have lasted even if she were around,” Harry said. “There was this cute Auror I had my eye on for a while.”

“Flatterer,” she smiled. “You said you fooled around too though?  That’s usually a little more fun at the start.”

“If you call me fingering her twice ‘fooling around’ then yeah, we fooled around,” Harry said giving up with all subtlety.

Tonks did laugh now.  Harry gave a grudging smile.

“Let me get this straight then,” she said once she stopped giggling. “You’re not a virgin, but you’ve never even had a handjob?”  Harry nodded glumly, staring fixedly at his knees. “Oh we’re definitely going to do something about that.” He looked up quickly to see Tonks leaning towards him with that intense flicker of desire in her eyes again.

“Wait, you’re not like, put off by this?” Harry asked, looking at her closely.

“Why would I be?” she asked easily.

“You just said sex was a huge priority for you,” Harry pointed out. “And I basically just said I have no idea what I’m doing.  It’s not a huge leap to assume that’s not exactly what you’re looking for.”

“Actually, it means more fun for me.” Tonks moved closer to him. “I could barely even try and you would love it.  Which I won’t, by the way, because it’ll be way more fun to bring my best moves and blow your fucking mind.” The litany of things Tonks had described enjoying in bed, and out probably, given the exhibitionism thing, leapt into Harry’s mind.  All of a sudden being inexperienced didn’t sound so bad if he got to try out some of those things with her.

“What about you?” he asked. “It wouldn’t be very much fun if you’re not enjoying yourself too.”

“Oh trust me, I don’t have any trouble enjoying myself.” She was just inches from him now, her voice low again.  “I’ll be honest with you, Harry,” she said softly, “I really want to have sex with you tonight.  But if you’d rather wait until you’re more comfortable, I completely understand.”

Harry stared into her eyes, keenly aware that in the whole of his life, he could not remember having been more comfortable with another person.  He tried to figure out how to put into words the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling in that moment, from happiness, to nervousness, to desire.  In the end he didn’t know how to begin to say any of it.

So he leaned forward and kissed her.

He was aware that it was one of the first times he’d really taken initiative in their relationship; usually it was Tonks who started things.  She let out a brief noise of surprise but quickly melted into the kiss.  He pulled her close again, hampered slightly by the awkwardness of sitting side by side on a couch.  Tonks solved that by throwing a leg over his hips and straddling him.

They kissed as if it were a competition, pushing against each other for purchase, every motion frantic and needy.  Harry lost all awareness of his surrounding; the only thing that mattered was the incredibly beautiful woman currently sitting in his lap.

Eventually he recalled how Tonks had kissed her way up his neck, and he decided he was curious what that was like from the other end.  Breaking off the kiss, he pressed his lips against the base of her jaw.  She gave a tiny moan and tilted her head to allow him better access.  He had no idea if it was because of her morphing abilities or the burning desire clouding his senses, but her skin tasted more wonderful than anything he’d ever imagined.

“I’m guessing that’s a yes, then?” Tonks breathed as he ran his tongue along the side of her neck.

A sudden boldness coming over him, he reached down and cupped her arse in both hands.  She gasped as he gave it a tight squeeze.  From this angle he couldn’t reach back into her pants, but this was almost as good.

“Definitely yes,” he said, raising his lips from her neck.

She grabbed his face and pulled him back for another kiss.  As he kneaded her bottom she started making little rocking motions in his lap.  This brought her crotch into frequent contact with Harry’s arousal, creating delightful bursts of friction.  However, it also drew attention to the fact that they were both still fully clothed, and Harry was seized by an urgent desire to do something about that.

He tugged at the bottom of her t-shirt, confident in his assumption that Tonks wouldn’t mind.  On the contrary she eagerly raised her arms and straightened up from their kiss, allowing him to pull the garment over her head and toss it to the side.

Tonks topless was a vision.  Harry lost all track of what he’d been doing as he stared at her breasts, only inches away from him.  They seemed the perfect size to him, perky with rosy pink nipples.  He thought he’d never seen anything so incredibly beautiful.

“Don’t stare too much, Harry, you’ll make me blush,” Tonks teased, arching her back slightly to present her chest to him.

“Alright then,” Harry said with a devilish grin, and before she could react, he leaned forward and wrapped his lips around her right breast.

He was rewarded with a sudden gasp of surprise, and Tonks pushed chest against his mouth as he bathed her breast with his tongue.  He had no real idea what he was doing, he’d only done this with Ginny a few times, but he didn’t much care.  Lavishing Tonks’s breasts with his mouth was one of the most exciting things he’d ever done.

“Ohh, keep going, Harry,” Tonks whimpered as he switched to her left breast, leaving a trail of kisses along the valley between them.  Her hands were tangled in his hair, and she was still making those wonderful little rocking motions in his lap.

He happily obliged, even remembered to bring up a hand to play with her other breast.  He paid particular attention to her nipples, as she tended to give particularly sharp moans when he ran his tongue along the little nubs.

“Pinch them,” she said.  He did as she requested and little squeezed her nipples, one between his lips, the other his thumb and forefinger. “Harder!” she said urgently.  He repeated the attempt with more force this time. “Yes, just like that!”

She seemed to be getting more and more worked up; her hands were gripping the back of his head rather tightly, and the movement of her hips was becoming frantic.  Harry kept going, moving his mouth back and forth occasionally.  Eventually, after one slightly harder squeeze, Tonks let out a sharp gasp, and her whole body appeared to seize up.  Little spasms ran up the length of her lithe, beautiful form.

After a few moments, the tremors subsided, but she continued to shake a little. “You can stop for second,” she said breathlessly.

Harry pulled back, a little confused about what had just happened. “Did you just come?” he asked.

Tonks let out a shaky laugh. “Wasn’t it obvious?”

“I mean it definitely looked like it, but I didn’t realize that was possible.”

“Like I said, I come pretty easily.” Tonks still looked dazed, but she was recovering fast. “Although I’ve only managed that by myself before, and it definitely wasn’t as intense.”

Harry tried not to look too pleased with himself.  He pulled her in for another, slower kiss. “Should we go into the bedroom, or d’you like the couch better?”

Tonks laughed softly. “Couch sex is pretty amazing, but I’d rather our first time be on the bed.” She stood up and pulled him to his feet, leading him by the hand down the hall into the bedroom.

She turned once they reached the bedroom and wrapped her arms around his neck, energy and passion returning in full force.  He responded in kind, running his hands all along her bare back.  In just a few moments she was tearing at his clothes.  She pushed his jacket off his shoulders and pulled his shirt over his head before scrabbling at his belt, all the while continuing to kiss him.

Harry tried to reciprocate but found himself fumbling with the button of her jeans.  Eventually he gave up trying and just pushed them down her legs before shucking out of his own.  Tonks attempted to mimic him, but the combination of hopping on one foot with her other leg tangled in her pants while also keeping her lips on Harry’s proved too much, and she toppled over backwards with a yelp.  Harry reached out to catch her but overbalanced as well and they both fell onto the bed, laughing.

“Sorry,” Tonks said between giggles.

“No problem,” Harry replied. “We meant to end up on the bed eventually.”

He became abruptly aware of the fact that he was now lying fully naked on top of Tonks, whose only article of clothing was an inverted pants leg dangling off her ankle.  The same thing seemed to have occurred to Tonks, who was once again flushed and breathing hard.  Their lips met again; the kiss a preface, a preamble to what was to come.

Harry shifted a little, having fallen on Tonks at a weird angle, and she took the opportunity to free herself from the stubborn pant leg.

Then, the moment was finally upon them.  Harry propped himself above Tonks’s prone form, his member resting on the soft curls just above her nether lips.  Expectation mounted as she took hold of him and helped him line up with her opening.  She was wet, and the tip of his cock easily slid between her folds.  Harry paused, waiting for permission.

Her normally pale skin was flushed as she looked up at him, and she nodded, her lips slightly parted in breathless anticipation.  Slowly, so as to savor every moment, every little detail, Harry began to push forward into her.  Tonks moaned as he gradually disappeared into her soft, slippery wetness.  When he was fully sheathed inside her, he held himself there, reveling in the sensation.

“Are you alright?” he asked.  Ginny had usually needed a few minutes to adjust at the beginning.

“I’m amazing, Harry,” she gasped. “You can move if you want.”

He was, in fact, desperate to move, and quite grateful for her permission.  He started slowly, drawing himself until he was almost out of her, then pushing back in.  Her walls clutched at him with each delicate thrust.  It was the most incredible thing he’d ever felt. 

Mindful of what she’d said, he gradually increased the speed of his movements, thrusting into her with more force.  She actively encouraged him by reaching down to grab his arse and pulling him sharply back into her.  All the clumsiness she tended to show on her feet seemed to disappear on her back.  She made his every awkward movement seem skilled by the way she shifted her body to accommodate him.  Her hips rolled up to meet his thrusts, and her back arched to graze his chest with the tips of her breasts.

Harry had never experienced anything this amazing, and he struggled to hold on, to prolong the pleasure.  But ultimately it was futile; he’d been worked up ever since she’d first kissed him in the living room, and he knew this would end soon.

“Having trouble holding on, Tonks,” he said tensely.

“Just a bit more, Harry” she breathed. “I’m really close.”

He gritted his teeth and pushed on, doing his best to fight the rising feeling in his stomach.  Each thrust brought him closer to the edge, but it seemed to push Tonks farther as well.  She was moaning freely now, her breathing shallow.

And then, it happened.  Her orgasm broke over her like a wave.  She gave a sharp cry and every part of her body tightened around Harry, from her hands on his back, to her legs against his sides, and, most deliciously, her inner walls around his cock.  Through it all she never looked away from him, her mouth open in now silent pleasure.  The whole of it combined set him off too, and he thrust deep one last time as he emptied himself inside her.

Tonks held him close as his orgasm subsided, and he struggled to hold his weight anymore.  He buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing hard and feeling happier than he could ever recall.

“Thank you, Harry,” Tonks whispered in his ear.

He pushed himself up a bit to look at her. “I should be thanking you, there’s no way you enjoyed that as much as me.”

She kissed him softly. “That’s where you’re dead wrong.  I can’t remember enjoying myself that much in a long time.”

Harry grinned at her. “Glad to be of service.” He slowly withdrew himself from her with a groan and rolled over beside her.  Tonks leaned over the side of the bed to grab her wand from her discarded jeans and cast a quick cleaning charm on both of them before collapsing next to Harry.  She rested her head in the crook of his arm, and he pulled her close.

“How was that, for our first time?” she asked.  Her tone was light, but he sensed the importance of the question.

“It was honestly the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced,” he replied fervently. “I can’t believe how amazing you are.”

She nuzzled against his shoulder, and he could feel her smiling. “You say the sweetest things.”

“You’re sure it was good for you?” Harry asked again.

“Yes, it was wonderful!” she said.

They lay in contented silence for what could have been minutes, or many happy years.  Eventually Harry started feeling his eyes growing heavy.

“Harry?” Tonks said, her voice similarly sleepy.

“Yeah?” he said, shaking himself out of a light doze.

“Will you stay with me, tonight?” She sounded tentative.

“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” he answered honestly.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “Night, Harry.”

“Night, Tonks.”

He closed his eyes again, relishing the warm feeling of her body next to his.


	8. Firsts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a little longer to get this chapter posted because I wanted to make some additions. Lots more sex and plot in this one. Also, I only just noticed that the story was tagged F/F for some reason. No idea if anyone was reading this in expectation of an F/F pairing, but I am very sorry to report that the story is pretty solidly M/F. Hope that's not too disappointing.

Harry woke up the next morning not quite sure why he was so happy.  His memory of the last few days was fuzzy, but he was sure something amazing must have happened to leave him in such a state of contentment.  There was a comforting, warm pressure against his side.  He savored the feeling for as long as he could before opening his eyes.

It turned out that the pressure he’d felt belonged to a woman.  An unusually beautiful woman with short, curly brown hair who was snuggled up against him, an arm and leg draped possessively across him.  A woman who, it was immediately clear, was not wearing a single item of clothing.  For that matter, neither was he.

As his memory of the previous night began to fill itself in, Tonks lifted her head a little and smiled drowsily at him.  Her hair was matted along the side of her face and one eye seemed reluctant to open fully.  Harry thought he’d never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life.

“Morning,” she murmured. “Sleep well?”

“Mm-hmm.  You?”

“Very,” she said, laying her head back down on him. “Glad you stayed.”

“Me too,” Harry said. “Your bed’s much nicer than mine.”

“Nothing else you like about my place?”

Harry pretended to think it over. “Nope, just the bed.”

Tonks swatted at him playfully.  The next moment her stomach gave a very loud growl.

“Hungry?” he asked with chuckle.

“Maybe a bit,” she said demurely. “Any chance you cook breakfast too?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” he said. “You want anything in particular?”

“Whatever you feel like,” she replied hazily. “I’ll be out in a bit.”

He maneuvered himself out from under her and she happily grabbed a pillow as a substitute.  After extracting his boxers from the tangled pile of their clothing, he took one moment to admire the lines of her naked body on the blankets before heading out to the kitchen.

Tonks’s kitchen was just off the main living space, with a counter that overlooked the sitting room.  It took him a few minutes of rummaging to find where she stored her pots and pans, and another minute to assess the pantry for ingredients.  Luckily Tonks stocked quite a bit of food, no doubt to accommodate her ever ravenous appetite.

Soon he had bacon frying in a couple skillets while he cracked eggs by hand.  Breakfast had not actually been one of the subjects he’d covered with Molly, but growing up with the Dursleys he had often been pressed into making breakfast when Petunia didn’t feel like it.  This was the first chance he’d had to use the skill in a happier setting.

Tonks emerged from the bedroom just as he was cracking eggs.  He did a double take when he saw her.  She was wearing his t-shirt, which was just long enough to cover her if she didn’t move, but every time she even shifted, it would ride up and tease glimpses of what lay underneath.

“Don’t let me distract you,” she said with a wink before seating herself at the counter to watch him work.  The neck of his shirt had fallen off one of her shoulders, exposing pale, smooth skin.

Harry tore his eyes away from this far more delicious sight to find the bacon on the brink of burning.  Quickly he reasserted himself over the kitchen, struggling to stay focused and not let his attention wander.  However, he was distracted again a moment later when Tonks let out a peal of laughter behind him.

Glancing quickly, he saw Tonks, her hand clasped over her mouth, and shoulders shaking from mirth.  She was staring down at a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ , whose contents were evidently hilarious.

“Anything I should know about?” Harry asked, slightly wary.  Knowing Tonks, laugher was not always the best sign.

“I’ll show you in a minute,” she said, not looking up. “Food first.”

Smiling a bit at her priorities, Harry turned back to the stove. A couple minutes later he served up a heaping portion of eggs and bacon, along with toast that he had been forced to brown in a pan, as Tonks did not appear to own a toaster.

“Thanks, Harry,” she said, tossing aside the paper and immediately digging in.

“Do I even want to know?” Harry motioned at the _Prophet_.

Tonks shrugged around a mouthful of bacon. “ _I_ thought it was funny.  Not sure what you tend to think about this kind of thing.”

With some trepidation, Harry picked up the paper and unfolded it.  For the second time in two weeks, he was greeted by the sight of Tonks and his faces starting up from a nearly page sized photo.

It was obviously one of the many pictures taken of them the previous night when they’d entered the concert venue.  The black and white image of Harry hardly moved, except to blink in surprise.  Tonks occasionally waved but looked almost as shell shocked.  The picture was caption with the title: “Harry Potter Attends Weird Sisters Concert with New Auror Girlfriend.”

Sighing resignedly, he opened the paper to the article

 _Harry Potter, The Boy Who Loved, age 19, seen above with Nymphadora Tonks, appears to be quickly moving past his recent breakup with Holyhead Harpies Chaser Gienvra Weasley.  The couple, who both work as Aurors for the Ministry of Magic, appeared together in public for the first time since being sighted a week and a half ago near Hogsmeade.  An unnamed source close to the two told the_ Prophet _that they have grown close since Mr. Potter’s split from Ms. Weasley several months ago.  Although they have been seeing each other casually for some time now, they only just decided to acknowledge the relationship openly._

_“Harry’s really over the moon about her,” our source confided. “He’s been going out mostly with Muggles since leaving Ginevra, to avoid the publicity, you know, but it’s been hard.  Muggle women just can’t understand what it’s like for him, and obviously he can’t explain it without breaking the law.  Nymphadora just gets him, you know?”_

_But while everyone should be thrilled that our Wizarding hero has found love, we shouldn’t necessarily break out the wedding china yet.  The Daily Prophet’s resident seer reports that Mr. Potter and Ms. Tonks may be facing some challenging times._

_“Of course it’s well established that Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors have significant compatibility issues,” Lauren Summers told us. “Especially with Mars in its latency after the war, and all, they should expect a rocky road ahead of them.”_

_The Prophet’s gossip column has repeatedly attempted to contact Mr. Potter to warn him of this troubling prediction, but has received no response.  Mr. Potter is notoriously private, and has not given an interview with the Prophet, or any other news outlet, since his famous expose with Rita Skeeter announcing the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’s some four years ago.  Ms. Skeeter’s subsequent biography of Mr. Potter has been contested by many of his close associates, but remains a bestseller a year after its publication._

_For her part, Ms. Tonks responded to a recent request for an interview with what appeared to be a Muggle magazine.  The lack of any form of note or letter makes it difficult for us to understand her intentions with this, although Ms. Tonks is well known in the Ministry for her love of practical jokes._

_We here at the Prophet do hope that, given everything he has done for our world, Mr. Potter takes seriously the concerns of those with his interests at heart.  It would be tragic for him to suffer yet more heartbreak if anything could be done to avoid it._

Reaching the end of the article, Harry glanced up at Tonks, who was still attacking her breakfast with gusto.

“Good, right?” she said in between bites of toast.

“Um…” Truthfully it had felt rather invasive to Harry.  Tonks easily picked up on this.

“Not your cup of tea?” she asked with a slight wince.

“Not as much,” he admitted. “I never get used to them speculating wildly.  I mean, what’s this rubbish about Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors not get along?”

“That’s the fun of it,” Tonks said eagerly. “It’s total nonsense, just random hack Divination crap.  It’s comical, right?”

Having been on the receiving end of far worse Prophecies, Harry had to admit this was a bit sillier.  Glancing back at the story, he asked, “What’s this about you sending them a Muggle magazine?”

Tonks’s smile turned mischievous. “Did I forget to tell you about that?  They sent me an owl after that last article, asking me to comment.  I sent a copy of Cosmo back.”

Harry frowned. “Cosmo?”

“You never heard of it?  I figured you would’ve, being raised by Muggles,” she said in surprise.  When he shook his head, she elaborated. “Well, it’s a rather suggestive magazine.  Lots of articles about sex positions, and how to fit into a bikini, stuff like that.”

“Why would you send something like that?” he asked in puzzlement.

“Because, can you imagine their expressions?” Tonks said with a giggle. “The _Prophet_ hires mostly purebloods, they wouldn’t have a clue what it was.  Can’t you see their faces, reading a Muggle sex magazine?”

Now Harry did laugh, picturing a group of bewildered wizards pouring over articles about Muggle sex lives.

“See,” Tonks said, still smiling, “fun, right?”

“Yeah, I suppose,” he said. “Still might’ve been nice if they’d used a smaller photo.”

“True,” she agreed ruefully. “You and I’ll need to get used to that I suppose.  Can’t keep having us looking like we’re about to pass out from shock.”

The fact that Tonks was still interested in being seen with him raised his spirits even more.  Tonks returned her attention to her breakfast while he picked at his smaller portion.  He was admittedly not as interested in food as the person sitting across from him.  The article had reminded him of the concert, how incredible it had been, and the surreal night that had followed.

Every few seconds, an image popped into his head, thoroughly distracting him from eating.  One moment it was the memory of Tonks topless in his lap, the next how she’d looked and felt underneath him.  The longer these thoughts and recollections roamed around his head, the more he thought they couldn’t possibly have happened to him.

He became aware that he was staring when she looked up at him. “Did I get food all over my face?” she asked, wiping at her chin.  Harry shook his head and hastily looked down at his own plate. “Something wrong, Harry?” she said, now sounding concerned. “That article put you off?  I know it’s not the best thing, but I figure we make the best of it.”

“No, it’s nothing like that” he said, “I just can’t quite believe last night actually happened.”

Tonks set down her fork. “Are you uncomfortable with anything?”

He looked up at her in surprise. “What?  No, of course not.  It was honestly the best night of my life!  I’ll never have to worry about producing a Patronus again.” It was now her turn to blush and look down at her plate. “It’s just hard to believe it happened to me.  I mean, what did I do to deserve that?”

“It’s not about deserving anything,” Tonks said, reaching across the counter to grasp his hand. “I like you and hopefully you like me.  This is just a good way of expressing that.”

Harry smiled. “Still feels like I’m being rewarded for something.  Like, I dunno, maybe I was really good in a past life.”

“You’re really good in this life, Harry,” she said emphatically. “And if we’re talking about getting rewarded, what about me?  If I recall correctly, _I’m_ the one who had two incredible orgasms last night.”

“Yeah but _I_ got to give them to you,” Harry pointed out. “Sure seems like I got the great side of that deal.”

Tonks shook her head. “Only you would see it that way, Harry.  Tell you what, why don’t I suck you off, then you can tell me if giving or getting is better?”

Her tone was so casual it took a moment for what she said to properly register with Harry. “Wait, are you serious?”

“Dead serious.” She leaned forward and gave him a sultry look. “I did mention we were going to have to do something about you never having a blowjob before, right?”

“Yeah, but, you mean like right now?” Harry’s brain seemed to have turned off completely.

“Why not?” she said, that playful smirk dancing at the edges of her lips. “No time like the present.  What d’you say?”

Harry gaped at her. “Well it’s not like I’m going to say no.”

“That’s the spirit!” she said, bouncing off the stool. “Now, you have a preference between here or the bedroom?” She might have been talking about where he’d like to finish eating.

“Um,” Harry’s sluggish brain struggled to keep up. “Bedroom I suppose.” It did seem a bit odd to have his first blowjob in a kitchen next to dirty pans.

“Good choice,” she said brightly. “Carpet’s much easier on a girl’s knees than tile.  Come on then.” She turned and skipped toward the bedroom.  As she did so, she crossed her arms and doffed Harry’s shirt, giving him a full view of her naked from behind as he followed her.  He realized that he hadn’t properly seen her from this angle before.

He had absolutely no complaints.

The moment they crossed the threshold into the bedroom, Tonks turned, placed her hands on his shoulders, and pushed him against the wall next to the door.  She used her entirely nude body to pin him there while she kissed him feverishly.  He wrapped his hands around her back, pulling her closer, wanting to feel every inch of her against him.

One of Tonks’s hands wandered down and roughly pushed his boxers over his erection, freeing him to the cool air of the bedroom.  She gripped his shaft and stroked lightly, causing him to groan into her mouth.

A moment later she pulled back, fire in her eyes. “Let’s get a couple things straight here, Harry.  In just a moment, I’m going to get down on my knees, wrap my lips around your cock, and make you come in my mouth.” Her words made him twitch in her hand. “If you do anything to try to stop any part of that, I’m going to be very cross.  You’ll have plenty of time to be all noble and get me off later, but right now is about you.  Understand?”

Harry had never heard such intensity in her voice, and all he could do was nod mutely.

“Good,” she said with a smile that was somehow both sweet and sinfully wanton. “Now that’s out of the way, I guess I should get started.”

At a pace just short of glacial, she started to sink to her knees.  She made sure to kiss down Harry’s chest and stomach on her way, sending pleasant little jolts throughout his body.  When she finally reached his cock she paused, continuing to caress him with a light feathery touch.  Harry thought he might go mad from anticipation when she lifted him and gave a long lick from the base of his shaft all the way to the tip.

Harry let out a hiss of surprise and his whole body tensed.  She repeated the motion, being sure to twirl her tongue around the head of his cock.  Then, maintaining eye contact the entire time, she opened her mouth and wrapped her lips around the first couple inches of his member.

Nothing about being insider her cunt could have prepared him for the unique sensation of being in her mouth.  It was not nearly as tight, but her tongue and lips stimulated him in different ways, and her hands were stilled clinging to the base of his cock, squeezing and stroking him.

She bobbed her head slowly, still looking directly at him, and he found himself mesmerized by the view of more and more of his shaft disappearing between her full, gorgeous lips.  The sight of her mouth stretched around him was at once lewd and profoundly tender.  He couldn’t believe the intense pleasure of the act and found himself clenching his hands.

With each bob of her head she would take a little more of him into her mouth, and the sensation would become tighter.  Eventually he felt the tip of his cock pressing against the back of her throat.  He assumed this would be the limit of her ability to pull him into her mouth, but he was wrong.  On the next pass she sank even farther down his length.  His heart raced as he felt himself being pulled down into the constriction of her throat.

She pulled back to the tip, looking up at him with that expression of mingled satisfaction and fierce lust.  Then she pushed herself forward, closer than ever to the base of his cock.  Her hands didn’t move much anymore as they had very little access to him.  With the next bob, she sank all the way down so that her nose was pressed against his pelvis, and his entire length had vanished into her mouth and throat.  She held herself there for several long moments, and his breath came in short bursts as the intensity of the pose overcame him.

When she drew back, she did so slowly and completely, leaving his dick shiny with saliva.  She gasped a little as he left her mouth and put her hands to work again, fondling his cock and balls with delicate, talented strokes.

“Bet you didn’t expect that,” she said with a smirk.  It was beyond Harry’s ability to respond coherently at that moment. “You’ve got a really nice cock, Harry.  I’m looking forward to doing this a _lot_.”

With that she plunged her mouth back on him, not even giving him a moment to process the concept of this happening frequently before he once again became lost in the mind-numbing feeling of his first blowjob.  Now that she had demonstrated her ability to fit every inch of his cock into her mouth, she had apparently decided to display another skill, namely her speed.  She’d ramped up the pace of her movements significantly, moving her head on him quicker than he would have thought possible.  He moaned aloud, one of his hands unintentionally tangling in Tonks’s hair.

She pulled back a moment to say, “You can’t fuck my face yet, Harry, that’s second blowjob territory,” and with a wink she returned to sucking him off.

If Harry wasn’t allowed to fuck her face, she seemed perfectly capable to doing it herself.  Her hands had left his cock, having increasingly little to do, and were now pulling his hips towards her with every forward thrust of her head.  He felt like she was actively trying to pull him as far as possible into his throat.

The whole thing was too much for him, the sight of his cock sliding between her lips, the loud slurping noises she made every time she took him deep, and above all the incredibly intense pleasure she was bringing him.  Very soon he felt a tingling in his stomach that meant only one thing.

“Tonks, I’m…” he tried to say, struggling to find the words to warn her.  She’d told him not to stop her, but the small part of his brain left intact was telling him that it would be rude not to give her any notice of what was about to happen.

She seemed to get the gist of what he was trying to get across, but it didn’t appear to affect her very much.  She backed off a bit, keeping about half of his cock in her mouth while her hands went back to work on him.  One feverishly stroked the part of him not sliding between her lips, and the other cupped his balls lightly.  The thing that set him off though was the indecently seductive look in her eyes, daring him to let go.

And let go he did, his body almost shaking as his cock twitched over and over again, pumping Tonks’s mouth full of his seed.  She didn’t seem at all taken aback and kept stroking him, although her head stilled.

He thought his orgasm might last forever, brought on as it was by her skillful ministrations.  At one point he actually worried that his legs were going to give out on him.  All through it, Tonks continued to draw each ounce of pleasure out.  Finally, she stilled and he leaned back bonelessly against the wall, feeling like his heart was trying to jump out of his chest. 

Tonks slowly pulled her mouth off his now softening cock, and even though he was suddenly exhausted, he didn’t miss her swallowing quite noticeably.  Standing up she pecked him on the lips.

“Need to sit down a second?” she asked, sounding quite pleased with herself.  Harry nodded wearily, and she led him over to the bed.

He promptly collapsed on his back, still struggling to get his heart rate under control.  Tonks lay on her side next to him, her head propped up on her arm, giggling a bit at his expression.

“So, what’d you think?” she asked casually when he seemed to have recovered a bit.

Harry laughed weakly. “I honestly have no words.  It was absolutely incredible.  Thank you!”

“You’re quite welcome,” she said primly before asking, “So which was better, that or sex?”

“It’s kind of hard to compare honestly,” Harry said after a moment’s thought. “Both are really amazing, just in different ways.  Maybe if I had more examples I could compare them better,” he added with a sly look at Tonks.

She laughed. “I’ll make sure you have plenty of experiences to draw from.  I wasn’t kidding about wanting to suck you off more.  Just as long as I get some too.”

“Yeah, speaking of which,” Harry commented, feeling suddenly bold. “Shouldn’t we do something about that?”

Tonks gave him his favorite grin, the one where her eyes almost disappeared. “What did you have in mind?” she asked innocently, although she ruined the effect slightly by pushing out her chest at him.

Harry spun and pushed her onto her back.  She let out a yelp, then a giggle as he started to kiss her neck. “Now, I might need a bit of help,” he said, punctuating each word with a kiss as he moved down her collarbone. “I haven’t exactly done this before.”

“Well you can practice all you like,” she sighed as he played briefly with one of her breasts before moving down her stomach.  As he reached the downy curls between her legs she pushed back on his head and said, “Oh wait, hold on just a second.”

He pulled back, frowning. “Something wrong?”

“No, I just thought you’d like to see a little magic trick,” she said, and his confusion deepened as she crossed her hands over her vagina and closed her eyes.  The pose might have been demure except it pushed her breasts up.  A moment later she opened her eyes and hands. “Ta da!”

Harry stared.  Where previously there’d been short, soft hair, now there was nothing but smooth bare skin.  The look was unexpected, especially given that Harry had only seen one other woman naked before and Ginny had rather…vivid hair.

“Why’d you do that?” Harry asked, still unable to look away from the juncture of her thighs.

“You don’t like it?” she said, pushing out her lower lip.

“No of course not its…” Harry tried to think of the appropriate description. “Surprisingly sexy,” he decided.

“Glad to hear it,” she grinned. “Just thought you might like it.  I’ve been told it makes things a bit easier.”

Harry immediately resolved to do some research on grooming spells the moment he had a chance.

“Right, well I suppose I should get back to it then,” he said, feeling a bit more nervous now that he’d been interrupted.

“You don’t have to if you’re not ready yet,” Tonks said, but he could tell by the flush of her cheeks that she was desperate for some kind of relief.

“Like hell I’m gonna let you have all the fun,” Harry said with a bit more bravery than he felt.

He descended back and kissed the now smooth skin below her navel.  She parted her legs eagerly to allow him access.

“First things first then,” Tonks said. “You know what a clitoris is, right?”

Thankfully he’d managed to figure out that much in his time with Ginny and eagerly nodded against her belly, making her giggle again.

“Good, cuz that’s the main part to focus on, but you want to spread everything out too.  The biggest thing to remember is you want to use the whole of your tongue, not just the tip,” she instructed him, “You’re not trying to finger me, you’re licking me.  Try to use your lips and stuff too, if you can manage.”

Harry tried to keep all of this in mind as he finally drew level with her quim.  Her lips already glistened, and if he’d had any worries about being able to find her clitoris, they were put to rest immediately upon seeing the prominent little nub above her opening.

Somewhat tentatively, he extended his tongue and gave a long, soft lick from the bottom to top of her slit.  Above him he heard her gasp a bit, and her hips twitched ever so slightly.  Encouraged by this, he drew his tongue up her several more times, enjoying her unique flavor.

He hadn’t known what he’d expected her to taste like, but he was pleasantly surprised by how much he liked it.  There was no easy way he could think to describe her, except that she tasted like sex, and it was amazing.

“Definitely a good start,” Tonks said, and he was pleased to hear that she was a little breathless. “You can go a little faster now, and put a bit more pressure on my clit.” He did as she directed and she let out a happy sounding moan.

As Harry continued trying to pleasure her with his tongue and lips, he became aware that his hands were lying on the bed, doing very little besides keeping him propped up.  This seemed wasteful, so he readjusted himself, allowing him to stroke the outside of her legs.

“Oh, that’s nice, Harry,” Tonks sighed. “You can play with my breasts too, if you’re able to reach.”

He was, in fact, perfectly able to reach her breasts, and promptly squeezed them, pinching her nipples the way he remembered her liking.  Trying to manage the movement of both his mouth and hands was proving a bit challenging, and he kept finding himself losing track of one or the other.  He figured it would take a while before he got the hang of it properly.

“Try little circles occasionally, and light flicks,” she added a few moments later.  Doing so resulted in more moans a little rolling motions from her hips.  It also gave Harry a strange but interesting idea.

“Mind if I try something?” he asked, lifting his head momentarily.

Tonks didn’t look orgasmically happy, but she seemed pleased with what he’d been doing thus far. “Go for it, I’ll let you know if anything doesn’t feel good.”

He nodded.  Tilting his head back down, Harry set his tongue flat against her clit and, hoping desperately he wasn’t about to screw the whole thing up, he tried imitating the tongue movements of Parseltongue.  He’d realized, as Tonks was instructing him, that the tongue motions involved in eating out a girl was rather similar to the way he’d rolled his tongue when speaking to snakes.  And while the actual ability had deserted him after Voldemort’s death, he still remembered some of the movements.

The reaction was immediate and intense.  Tonks practically shrieked, arching forward and grabbing a fistful of his hair in each hand.

“Too much?” he asked immediately, raising his head in concern.

Tonks was wild eyed and breathing hard. “Do that again!” she ordered him, pushing his head back towards her vagina.

Harry repeated the rolling twisting movement of his tongue against her clit, and the reaction was similar.  He took this, along with the fact that she was now actively grinding her pussy into his face, as a good sign, and kept it up.  The biggest challenge soon became holding on to her as the writhing motions became more pronounced.  Fortunately, she seemed quite interested in keeping his tongue on her.

“Don’t stop, don’t you dare fucking stop!” she keened, head rolling back on the bed.

He felt her clit growing harder under his tongue and kept up his efforts, desperate to give her even a fraction of the pleasure she’d given him.

He knew she was about to come when her whole body grew surprisingly still.  The next moment her legs were clenching around his head and her fingers dug tightly into his hair.  Her back arched off the bed, and her nipples pebbled under his hands.  Each breath was punctuated by a loud, almost offensively sexy moan.  Mindful of how she’d drawn out his orgasm, he kept up his ministrations as long as possible.

When it was over she sank back onto the bed limply.  He brought his head up slightly. “Was that okay?” he asked.

She looked at him through dazed eyes. “You’re doing that to me every single day.  As long as you don’t mind.”

He grinned. “I definitely don’t mind.  Should I keep going?” He’d heard that women didn’t need to recover as long as guys.

Tonks looked surprised. “I mean, if you want to, I definitely won’t stop you.  Just go a bit softer at first, give me a bit before you do that thing with your tongue again.”

“Cool,” he said happily, and dived back down.

Before long she was moaning again under his increasingly confident onslaught.  As requested, he kept it slow until she indicated she was ready for his little trick again, and once again she was bucking her hips against his face.  Her second orgasm came on faster that the first, and he didn’t let up this time.  He had to adjust himself a couple times to stay comfortable, but otherwise he was quite content to keep his head buried between her legs as long as she would let him.

As long as she would let him turned out to be around five orgasms, each more intense than the last.  The final time she came, something rather surprising happened.  When her body convulsed, her hair started flying through a dazzling rainbow array of colors, from red to purple to green, before finally settling on pink as the pleasure subsided.

“Okay, I don’t think I can take any more,” she gasped, pulling Harry off of her.

He crawled up to lie beside her, his jaw rather stiff and his tongue feeling a bit cramped, but otherwise quite happy with how he’d done.  He licked her wetness from around his lips, savoring one last taste.

“I swear I’ll never leave you as long as you keep doing that,” Tonks mumbled, resting her head on his shoulder.

Harry chuckled. “Good to know.”

“I’m serious,” she said. “If I’m ever annoyed with you, just take off my pants and put me on my back, and I’ll get over it fast.  What in the world were you doing with your tongue anyway?”

“It’s kind of weird,” he hedged.

“Come on, you’ve gotta tell me,” she urged. “That’s way too good to keep a secret.”

He hesitated a bit more before saying, “I was sort of imitating Parseltongue.”

“What you mean like talking to snakes,” she said, lifting her head to look at him in surprise. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

Harry shrugged. “It was a side effect of Voldemort’s curse.  I can’t do it anymore, but I remember some of the motions.”

“Well you don’t see me complaining,” Tonks replied. “Although if the Auror Office knew the kinds of Dark Magic you were using in the bedroom they’d have to arrest you.”

He squinted at her, not sure if she was joking or not.

“Don’t worry,” she said with cheeky grin. “I won’t report you.  Maybe.  I mean, it does seem a shame to keep this a secret.”

“You wouldn’t,” he said, the statement coming out more like a question.

“We’ll see,” she said with a mischievous little smile.

“Come on, you wouldn’t exactly want me spreading around what you just did to me,” he said.

“Why not,” she shrugged. “There’s already plenty of rumors going round about me, it wouldn’t be much different.”

“I wouldn’t add to that though,” Harry said, feeling a little offended.

Tonks looked up at him closely. “No, of course you wouldn’t.  Tell you what though, you can let Ron in on some details, since he’s apparently dying to have some guy talk with you.”

“I’ll think about it,” Harry said.

“I do want you to have _some_ bragging points,” she went on. “Not to boast or anything, but I guarantee Ron’s not getting anywhere near as good head as you.”

“So not something I want to think about,” Harry said with a wince, and Tonks laughed.

“You can’t tell me you’re not a bit curious what goody girl Hermione is like in bed?” she said.

“Not even a little,” he said firmly. “And if you want me to go down on you again, you will definitely not bring that up.”

“Ooh, getting firm with me now, are you?”

“Only if Hermione’s not in the conversation.”

“Oh fine,” she relented with a fake pout. “I won’t talk about your friends’ sex lives.”

“Much obliged,” Harry said drolly.

They lay next to each other before Tonks’s seemingly boundless energy drove her to her feet. “What d’you feel like doing today?” she asked, bouncing around the room a bit.  Harry enjoyed what this did to her breasts.

“I didn’t have anything planned,” he said. “Any ideas?”

“I’ve been meaning to make a trip to Diagon Alley, do a bit of Christmas shopping,” she suggested.

“That could be fun, as long as you don’t jinx my disguise again,” Harry said warningly.

“You’re no fun,” Tonks scrunched up her face before smiling. “But I suppose I can behave for one afternoon.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Just one?”

“Hey I’m not perfect.”

“You look pretty perfect from here,” he observed, giving her still naked form a once over.

“I bet you say that to all the girls who suck your cock,” she said.

“Since it’s just you who’s done it, yeah, pretty much,” he quipped.  She swatted his foot lightly. “D’you mind stopping off at my place first so I can change clothes?”

“No problem,” she said, turning to rummaged in her wardrobe.  Harry looked interestedly over her shoulder, curious about the kinds of clothing she owned.  Most of what he saw was worn t-shirts and jeans.  She selected a pair, seemingly and random and started pulling them on.

“Not much into underwear, are you?” Harry observed.

“Believe it or not, it’s more of a practical thing,” she said, grabbing a shirt. “If I change shape even a little, they either bunch or rip.  It’s honestly just easier to go without.  You getting a show is just a bonus,” she added with a smirk.

“Obviously I’m not complaining,” Harry said, starting to pull on his own clothes, but making sure to get an eyeful of Tonks’s nipples poking at the front of her t-shirt.  Now that he’d noticed that, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to look away. “Could you enchant your things to change size with you?”

“Yeah but I never got the hang of the spell,” she said, standing and examining her hair in a mirror. “I can get them done custom, but that’s expensive.  Besides, it’s not like I need bras to keep whatever shape I want.”

“About that.” Harry shrugged on his jacket. “Last night and this morning, was this you?  I mean, I know it’s you, but is it _you_ , like normally?  Sorry, you know what I mean, right?” He shut his mouth before he could say something stupid.

Tonks turned and gave him a surprisingly tender smile. “I know what you mean, Harry, and yes, that was just me, no changes.  I thought it’d be nice if our first time was more… natural.”

“It definitely was,” Harry smiled back at her. “I was just curious, you mentioned liking to use your abilities during sex, but I didn’t know what you meant.”

“Oh, that.” She took on a contemplative expression. “Small things I suppose.  I got rid of my gag reflex, otherwise there’s no way I’d be able to get that much of your dick down my throat.”

Harry blushed at how brazenly she mentioned the act.

“Obviously there’s changing around my hair, or getting rid of it,” she went on, taking no note of his reaction. “I also can make myself pretty flexible.  Not like, human pretzel or anything, but if you ever want to put my legs up by my head that’s not a problem.”

“Good to know.” Harry adjusted himself slightly, starting to feel constricted in his jeans again.

“But that’s not really what you meant, is it?” she said. “I guess the thing I change most is my height, to accommodate different positions.  It’s easier to pick me up against a wall if I’m on the smaller side.”

Harry thought if she kept talking like this he’d not be able to stand up for a while, but she didn’t show any signs of stopping.  It was like she’d been waiting for this conversation; her gaze was distracted, far away.

“I’ll make my hips a bit wider sometimes just for fun.  I never change my face, and I tend to keep my breasts the same size unless I want to do something a bit…well special,” she finished with an ambiguous shrug.

“What d’you mean, special?” Harry asked, not following her.

“Come on, you know what I mean,” she said with a knowing grin.

“No, I really don’t,” Harry said, wondering what could be so filthy that even she wouldn’t talk about it bluntly.

“Harry,” she raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you honestly telling me you’ve never thought about what you could do with a bustier girl?  What you could slide between a bigger pair of tits?”

He caught on to what she was talking about and immediately felt his face flush bright scarlet and his stomach jump. “Oh, um, no I suppose I hadn’t.  Is that really a thing?”

“It is,” she confirmed. “And I have it on good authority that guys love it.”

“You’ve done that before?” he asked, mind now flooding with extremely naughty images.

“Not very often,” she said, looking pensive. “I actually think it’s pretty hot, but for some reason every time I’ve tried it the bloke I’m with thinks it means I’ll start doing whatever he wants.  So you might want to wait a bit before making any requests.”

“Of course not, I wouldn’t-” Harry started to assure her, but she interrupted him.

“No, I know you wouldn’t,” she said, waving a hand. “I didn’t mean to imply anything, I just haven’t had the greatest experiences in the past.”

Harry nodded. “You’d tell me if I did or said something to make you uncomfortable, right?”

“I hope so,” she said openly. “No one’s ever seemed to care before, so that seems like a good start.”

She still had that far away look on her face for a moment longer before shaking her head a bit and smiling at him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring us down there.  Did you want to head out now?”

“Oh, sure,” Harry said, taken aback by the abrupt change in mood.

On the way out Harry waved his wand at the kitchen, setting the dishes to clean themselves while they were gone.  Outside they Apparated to Harry’s apartment, which was a little less clean than the previous weekend, although he’d made an effort to keep up appearances in case Tonks dropped in unannounced.

“I’ll just be a minute,” he said, heading up the stairs. “There’s food in the pantry if you fancy a snack.”

The loft had come with a fairly large walk in closet, which he absolutely had not needed, and had honestly become a bit of a burden.  Intimidated by the size of the space, and excited that he didn’t have to wear Hogwarts robes every day, he’d bought more clothing than he would ever use.  As a result, it took him some time to select a non-descript outfit that wouldn’t attract much attention in Diagon Alley.

When he emerged from the closet however, he received a shock that drove all thoughts of clothing from his mind.  Tonks was laid out on his bed, her head hanging over the side so she was looking right at him, albeit upside down.  She was also completely naked.

“Wotcher, Harry,” she said with a wink. “Feel like christening your bed?  I don’t want it to feel left out after what we did on mine.”

“Um…” Harry felt like he’d forgotten how words worked. “Sure.”

“Come over here then,” she said, beckoning him with a finger.

He did as directed, dropping his change of clothes absently as he did so.  He stopped about a foot away from the bed, uncertain what to do next.  Still lying on her back, Tonks reached out an arm and pulled him closer so that her face was only inches from his crotch.  She started unbuttoning his jeans, the strange angle making her fumble a bit but it only took her a few moments to push them down.  His underwear quickly followed, exposing his hardening member.

“What’re you doing?” Harry asked.  His knowledge of sex was woefully lacking, but he couldn’t imagine how they were going to do anything in this position.

“Getting you going,” Tonks said, running her hand up his shaft before lifting her head slightly to take a lick. “I want to make sure you’re plenty hard for me.”

Harry was about to respond that the sight of her unexpectedly naked on his bed was more than enough to get him hard, but before he could get the words out, she’d parted her lips and pulled his cock into her mouth.  The protest was lost in a groan as her tongue immediately bathed his length.

She didn’t build up to anything like she had earlier that morning, teasing him little by little.  Instead she took him deep right from the start, gripping his ass and using that along with her unique position to pull him into her tightly accommodating throat.

It felt just as good as it had earlier.  Better in some ways because of the novelty of the angle, and the fact that unlike earlier, he could see every inch of her naked form laid out over his bed.  In fact, he realized that pretty much anything he wanted was right within arm’s reach.  When he leaned down slightly and cupped her breasts in his hands she gave a light moan around his cock.

He pinched and toyed with her nipples for several moments before leaning farther forward to run a finger along her slit.  She was already quite wet, and Harry wondered briefly if that was because of her abilities or if she really was that turned on before deciding he didn’t actually care.  She moaned again as he found her clit and circled the little nub lightly.  Splitting his attention while his length was buried in her mouth was rather challenging, but he enjoying the little noises she made as he touched her.

Eventually Tonks pulled off of him with a gasp and said, “I need you to fuck me right now!”

Harry straightened back up and pushed his trousers down over his feet eagerly before ripping off his shirt.  As he did so, Tonks had lifted herself up and gotten onto all fours with her arse facing him. He paused when he noticed this, enjoying the view quite a bit, but slightly confused again.

“How’s this?” she asked, giving him a sultry look over her shoulder.

“I thought you said you weren’t too fussed with anal?” he asked, frowning.

Her seductive expression dissolved into a giggle. “You really didn’t get out much, did you?  We can have regular sex this way too, you know.”

Harry flushed. “Didn’t realize,” he muttered.

“Don’t be,” she said, still giggling. “But you might want to let Ron chat with you occasionally, you’ll learn a bit.  Now get over here and shove your cock in me!”

He walked forward eagerly, and Tonks shuffled back so she was just at the edge of the bed, her legs spread for him.  Hardly daring to breathe, he ran a hand along the curve of her arse and up her back.  She shuddered lightly at his touch.

“Don’t tease me, Harry,” she whispered.

He took his dick and attempted to line himself up with her opening, but the unfamiliar position caused him to fumble. “Might need a hand,” he admitted.

Tonks shifted her weight to reach a hand between her legs and guide him into her.  She resumed her position once his tip was nestled in her folds.  They both moaned as he slowly buried himself inside her.  Harry grabbed her hips instinctively once he was fully surrounded by her warmth, but before he could begin moving, Tonks twisted around to grab his hand.

“No being slow or gentle this time, Harry,” she said with a blazing look in her eyes. “I want it hard, and I don’t want you to hold back for a second.  Got it?”

By way of showing that he certainly had ‘got it’ Harry pulled back and sharply thrust into her, causing her to fall back onto the bed with a cry of surprise.  He kept going, using her hips as leverage to pull himself back into her with each motion, the sound of his hips hitting her arse echoing around his flat.

“Yes, just like that!” Tonks cried out. “Don’t stop!”

Harry didn’t think he could stop even if he tried, he felt like he was being drawn deeper and deeper into her with every thrust.  There was nothing delicate or loving about the way they collided with one another, consumed with pure physical passion.  If the night before could be described as making love, this was most definitely fucking, and for the first time he understood the difference.

His grip tightened involuntarily on Tonks’s hips, pounding into her with a frenzy.  The feel of her skin under his fingers, the line of the curve of her back, and the tight wetness of her pussy all conspired to drive him cray.

He had no presence of mind to tell how close Tonks was, not between the volume of her moans and the haze of pleasure clouding his head.  So it was quite a surprise when she tightened like a vise around him and let out an euphoric howl.  Harry clung to her and stopped moving as she came, her arms giving out and dropping her front half onto the bed.

He let her recover a bit, not sure if he should stop.  From her position face down on the bed, she turned and gave him a tired, but still sensual smile. “Keep going.  I want you to come for me, Harry.”

Before he’d even registered the action he was moving again, still possessed by that feverish lust that had coursed him all through this tryst.  Now that Tonks had come he was consumed by the need to reach his own peak.

Tonks was still stretched out on the bed, her hips held up in Harry’s grip, but the rest of her prone and boneless.  She wasn’t making as much noise anymore, but her hands gripped the sheets tightly as he fucked her as hard as he could.  Sweat was beading on his forehead; he couldn’t remember ever exerting himself this much, even during Quidditch.

“God yes, fuck me,” Tonks cried.

With a shuddering groan Harry plunged himself as far as he could into her and held himself there, twitching as he came deep inside her.  Tonks moaned in satisfaction as he filled her.

Feeling a little dizzy, he pulled out of her before he collapsed onto her back, letting her hips fall, and dropping to the bed next to her.

They lay there, panting for a while as both of them recovered.

“I think that’s my favorite so far,” Harry remarked eventually.

Tonks chuckled. “Guys always say that.”

“You don’t like it?” he asked, frowning.

“Oh no, I love it,” she assured him. “I always come really hard like that.  I just wish I could touch you too.”

Harry tried to puzzle out a way to make that work. “What about on our sides?” he suggested eventually.

“Yeah, that’s a good one,” she said. “We’ll try that soon too.”

He smiled. “Can’t wait.”

“Had you honestly never heard of doggie style before, Harry?” she asked teasingly.

His face grew warm again. “No, I’d heard of it, but I never really got the details.”

Tonks giggled. “I’d have thought one of your housemates would’ve said something.  Don’t guys talk about sex with each other all the time?”

“Seamus and Dean did,” Harry said, “but I don’t think they really knew what they were talking about so I tended to ignore them.  And it wasn’t like Ron and I were out sleeping with girls every weekend.”

“What about Ron’s brothers?” she asked curiously. “A couple of them seemed like the playboy types.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Harry said, thinking of Fred and George in particular. “But I think they saw me as innocent or something; when I was younger they’d always clam up if the subject came up.  Then when I was dating Ginny I don’t think any of them were keen on giving me pointers in sticking it to their sister.”

Tonks let out a peal of laughter, burying her head briefly in the comforter again. “Did that get awkward when you were together?”

“Not really,” he said, feeling rather strange to be talking about his ex while naked with his freshly fucked current girlfriend. “We were too busy trying not to die for a while there, and then afterwards I think everyone was just happy to be alive to care who was shagging who.”

“How do you think they’ll react when they hear about us?” Tonks asked, suddenly serious.

“Oh they already know,” Harry said. “Molly gave me a crash course in cooking when we started going out.  I’m sure she told the rest of them by now.”

“So it’s Molly I have to thank for that twenty course meal we enjoyed?” she said, bumping his side affectionately.

“Hey I made that all by myself,” Harry protested. “And I’ll have you know, twenty course meals take a bit of preparation.”

“I stand corrected,” she joked before sobering again. “You think they won’t mind then?”

“Why would they mind?” He looked at her in confusion.

Tonks shrugged. “Well I know you’re like a son to Molly, but I wasn’t sure how she took you and Ginny breaking up.  I thought maybe she’d feel like I’m butting in.”

“No, she took it really well,” Harry said. “Said she just wanted us to be happy.  She was over the moon when I told her about us.  Expecting you at Christmas, by the way.”

“Just as long as she’s not planning the wedding yet,” Tonks quipped.  Before Harry could assure her that Mrs. Weasley wasn’t that presumptuous she smiled at him and said briskly, “Sorry, I believe I interrupted you getting changed.”

“I didn’t mind,” Harry said honestly.

“Well, we should still get a move on,” she remarked, lifting herself up. “Seeing as it looks like I’m buying gifts for the whole Weasley clan now too.”

“Yeah, that’ll take a while,” Harry reflected, pulling himself up as well.

As they cleaned themselves up and got dressed again, Harry reflected that clothing was becoming a much smaller part of his life than it had been only a day ago.

“What kind of disguise should I go with?” Harry asked, taking out his wand.

Tonks pondered for a moment. “I think the beard and longer hair to cover your scar should be enough.  I’d like to still feel like I’m with you, not some other bloke.”

“You sure people won’t notice?  You’re a bit famous too, they might look closer when they see me with you.”

“Not when I look like this.” Tonks scrunched up her eyes and a moment later her hair turned strawberry blonde and lengthened to just below her shoulders.  Opening her eyes she said, “For some reason no one ever recognizes me when I’m a blonde.”

And it seemed she was right.  As they entered Diagon Alley a few minutes later they received no more than a passing glance from the other shoppers.  As always Harry found this slightly disconcerting.  Having spent the last ten years being stared at wherever he went within the wizarding world, passing anonymous was a bit of a relief.  However, he wished it didn’t require a disguise.

As if trying to tempt fate, the first place Tonks lead them was Quality Quidditch Supplies.  Shortly after the Battle, and the subsequent increase in Harry’s celebrity, it had gotten out that he had been a talented Quidditch player at Hogwarts, and his association with the sport had immediately skyrocketed.  He was still fending off requests from broom makers to endorse their products.

“You sure this is a good idea?” he asked dubiously as they entered the bustling shop.

“Relax,” she said, “No one’s looking at people in here.”

Once again she was proven correct.  With the holidays approaching, the place was extremely busy, potential buyers debating between various models for loved ones and friends.  People ogled Firebolts and the latest Nimbus model or asked friends if they looked good in their favorite team’s colors.  No one had a second to spare for the young bearded man and his blonde companion.

“You buying someone a broom?” he asked, curious who would receive such a lavish gift.  Brooms were not cheap.

“Not really,” Tonks said, eyeing the new Cleansweep. “I just like looking.”

“What was it you were riding back when we first met?” Harry asked, trying to remember. “A Comet, right?”

“A 260,” she confirmed, nodding over at the corresponding rack. “But I got a 290 last year when Kingsley gave everyone that raise.”

“Still must have been expensive,” he commented.

She shrugged. “After everything that happened a little extra money didn’t seem that important.  And you’re one to talk, last I saw you were riding a Firebolt.” She glanced over toward the display that held the only Firebolt the store ever carried.  Even now, years after its release, crowds of people still thronged to look at it.

“Not anymore,” Harry said shortly, pretending to look at the price of the Cleansweep Eight.

“What happened to it?” Tonks inquired curiously.

“It blew up when we were leaving the Dursley’s.” He tried to keep his voice matter of fact and avoided looking at her.

“That’s a shame,” she said. “I would’ve liked a ride on it.”

Harry nodded curtly. “Where else did you want to go?”

Tonks tore her gaze away from the Firebolt case rather reluctantly. “Well, knowing me I won’t be able to stand this long enough to get _all_ my shopping done, so we should focus on the important people first.”

“Right, Narcissa it is then,” Harry deadpanned, but Tonks got a suddenly mischievous look on her face.

“Oh my god, I could send her some really weird stuff,” she said with a wondering look in her eyes. “How have I never thought of this before?  What do you think she’d do if I sent her a Muggle TV?”

“Have a coronary, I imagine.” He smiled at the mental image. “I’ll pay for half.”

“Later,” she promised. “For now let’s focus on Molly.  I would’ve sent her something regardless.”

“Already got something for your mum?”

She let out a mirthless laugh. “If I had a clue what to get my mum I’d probably die of shock.  No, I’ll just wait ‘til the last minute, like usual.”

Harry had no idea how to respond to this, but apparently Tonks didn’t expect him to, because she led them briskly from the store.  They spent the rest of the morning running through a variety of shops in a way that defied Harry’s ability to understand.  Tonks seemed to grow bored within moments of setting foot inside a place.  Nevertheless, they were able to find a picture frame that switched between different photos every few minutes for Molly, a history of British-French magical relations for Hermione, a couple of unbreakable wine glasses for one of Tonks’s friends, and, most bizarrely, a scarf with a Venomous Tentacula embroidered on the front for Charlie.  She refused to explain this one to Harry but snickered constantly as they left the shop.

“Okay, I think that’s about all I can manage,” she said, sounding exhausted as they stepped back into the alley.

“Let’s pop into George’s for a minute,” Harry suggested. “He always likes having people stop in and we might find something for Ron.”

Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes was as busy as it had been from the moment it opened its doors.  Witches and wizards of all ages rushed frantically around the packed space, remarking on the wares.

“I’ll look for George,” Harry told Tonks, moving farther into the shop.

He found the Weasley twin near the counter, dealing with a customer who, from the sound of it, was displeased with the effects of a Nosebleed Nougat.

“I had to go to St. Mungo’s for three days!” the man was saying irately. “And now my wife’s not letting me back in the house!”

“I’m very sorry for your discomfort sir,” George responded with an air of greatly strained patience, “But as I’ve already indicated, the packaging on the box clearly explains you’re only supposed to eat _one_ of the ends at a time.  We also don’t recommend them as solutions to in-law related arguments.”

“I still want my money back!” the wizard insisted.

Harry expected George to laugh in the man’s face, but to his surprise, George gave a weary sigh and said, “Talk to Mary up front, she’ll take care of you.”

The wizard trudged off, still grumbling to himself, and George absently rubbed the side of his head where a misfired curse had taken his ear.  He glanced at Harry then did a double take.

“Harry?” he said, peering curiously at him. “That you?”

“It’s me,” Harry confirmed with a grin.

“Blimey, that beard is strange,” George said, still looking at him closely.

“Yeah I know but it makes it easier to walk around.”

“I suppose it would at that.” George shook himself slightly. “Anyway, what can I do for you?”

“Looking for a Christmas gift for Ron,” Harry explained. “Anything new you think he would like?”

“Well let’s see,” George looked around the shop vaguely. “We honestly don’t have much new right now, haven’t had time to develop anything.  Does he have one of the Broom Broom Kits?”

“Yeah, I got him one for his birthday.”

“What about the Sugar Hexes?” he asked, wandering over to the candy wall.

“Hermione won’t let him buy those anymore,” Harry said. “Not after he threw them up all over the couch a couple months ago.”

“Oh.” George looked stumped. “I’m not sure then, let me think about it and get back to you.”

Harry was struck by how distracted George seemed.  He kept glancing around, his brow furrowed, as though something was confusing him.  Now that Harry took a proper look as well the place looked, not precisely shabby, but definitely a little worn. 

“The shop doing okay?” he asked casually.

“Hm?” George looked back at him. “Oh yeah, business is steady.  People always like things that blow up in their friends’ faces.  Hey Tonks.”

Tonks had appeared next to him, holding an armful of products.

“Find something for Ron?” Harry asked hopefully.

“Nope, this is all for me,” Tonks said brightly. “I’m tired of hearing stories about these fireworks you all keep talking about, I wanna see them for myself.”

“Just make sure you don’t set those off in your house,” George cautioned, smiling slightly for the first time since they’d entered.

“Oh fine,” Tonks said, looking put out. “We’ll find a field or something like that.  How’s it going George?”

“Fine, fine,” he said airily. “By the way Tonks, have you seen the clothing line?” He pointed out a couple racks in the Wonder Witch section.

“Yeah, not to my taste,” Tonks said dismissively.

“You sure?  We enchant them to stretch and shrink at least a few sizes.  Meant so that a little weight gain or loss doesn’t mean you have to get new clothes, but it’d probably work just fine for you…?”

He didn’t even get out the full sentence before Tonks shoved her parcels into Harry’s hands and darted at the clothing rack.

George chuckled, watching her go. “You two getting on alright?”

“Better than alright,” Harry said enthusiastically. “She’s incredible.”

“That’s good,” George said, clapping a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you both.” Once again he took on that slightly far-away look.  Before Harry could say anything, Tonks returned, looking slightly frazzled.

“You ready to head out, Harry?” she asked.

“That all you’re going to get?” George asked, looking bemused at the two outfits in Tonks’s arms.

“No way I’m spending my whole salary on clothes,” Tonks said, raising an eyebrow.

“You didn’t tell her, did you?” George said in an aside to Harry with a knowing, if melancholy grin. “Harry doesn’t pay here,” he said to Tonks. “And neither do you, if you’re with him.”

“What?” Tonks looked genuinely astonished. “Is it some kind of family thing?”

“No, we make family pay,” George replied with a hint of his old sense of twisted fun. “Harry’ll explain it to you, but I’ve gotta run.” The witch at the desk was waving for George’s attention. “You two take care.”

He nodded at them both and stepped away, Tonks still looking stunned.

“So you wanna grab a couple more things?” Harry said, trying and failing to suppress a smile at the look on her face.

“Well...” She hesitated. “I mean I guess.  I don’t want to like, take advantage or anything though.”

“Does it look like he’s not doing well?” Harry made a motion at the rest of the store.

“Alright then,” she relented. “You honestly have no idea how hard it is to find clothes that change size.  And how in the world do you shop free at this place?”

Harry regaled Tonks with the tale of helping Fred and George with start up money while she browsed, a little more leisurely, through the size adjusting clothes.

They left Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes several minutes later laden with packages.  Tonks was practically bouncing, but Harry couldn’t help looking back several times at the brightly colored storefront, thinking of its scarred owner.

Harry spent the rest of the day with Tonks struggling to maintain a cheerful façade.  She spent a while trying on the different outfits she’d gotten from George and didn’t focus too much on Harry, except to ask his opinion of a particular piece occasionally.  Later, he avoided talking by volunteering to cook dinner.  Tonks invited him to stay over again, and he couldn’t find it in himself to invent an excuse not to.  Besides, the feeling of her body next to him was decidedly more comforting than his lonely bed.  As he drifted off, he hoped that he could find a bit of peace that night.

He knew it was a futile hope.

Perhaps it was Tonks bringing up his old Firebolt, or maybe seeing George and remembering how he’d lost his ear, but that night he found himself in the air, helpless in the sidecar of a flying motorcycle, struggling to stay alive while people died around him.

He remembered the flash of green light that had silenced Hedwig, and the gut wrenching fear that had surrounded him as he and Hagrid fled for safety, praying for the wellbeing of his friends as he went, only to be brought the news of Mad-Eye’s death when they reached sanctuary.  Distantly, he heard his name being called and, thinking it must have been Hagrid during the chase, he struggled to shout back, to find him in the blackness.

Only when he felt a pair of hands shaking him did he open his eyes and remember that he wasn’t in the skies above Privet Drive, but safe in Tonks’s bed.

He realized he was thrashing about, struggling against non-existent assailants and immediately tried to relax.  He collapsed on the bed, breathing heavily and trembling slightly.  Tonks was sitting over him; she had been the one shaking him.  Her expression was concerned.

“It’s okay,” he said, trying to smile at her.  His throat felt raw. “Just a bad dream.”

“I’ll say,” she remarked, sitting back a bit, but still looking fretful. “You were thrashing about like that for a while.  Took me forever to wake you up.”

Harry sat up and leaned against the headboard. “Yeah, I probably should have mentioned something about that before we started sleeping together.”

She arched an eyebrow. “You mean you regularly have nightmares that end with you screaming?”

He looked down, ashamed. “At least once or twice a week, usually.”

“Once or twice a week, are you serious?!” she repeated.

“It’s not a big deal.” He tried the smile again, but it didn’t work any better.

Tonks inched toward him. “How long has this been going on, Harry?”

He shrugged. “Five or six years, I suppose.  I didn’t really keep track.”

“And it’s always been this bad?” she pressed,

“Not exactly,” he muttered. “It got worse after Voldemort came back.  And, well, after the Battle too.”

Tonks winced at the sound of the name. “Did you ever tell anyone?”

“Well Ron knew, he was in the bunk next to me.  And he always told Hermione, so I guess she did too.”

“But you never talked with them about your nightmares.  Or Dumbledore, or someone?” She was looking even more concerned than before.

“Sometimes I’d have visions,” he said, trying to reassure her. “You know, like that one where I saw Mr. Weasley being attacked.  I’d always tell Dumbledore about those.”

That didn’t seem to help. “You’re telling me you’ve been having nightmares this intense at least once a week for years, and you’ve never talked to anyone about it?”

“It’s really not a problem,” Harry insisted, starting to feel almost unclean.

“Yes, it is, Harry,” she countered, looking at him more seriously than she ever had. “You’ve got to have someone to share this kind of stuff with, otherwise it just eats you up.  Especially with the kinds of things you’ve been through.”

“Well what about you?” he said. “You went through the war too, who do you talk with?”

Tonks shifted, avoiding his eyes. “Sometime Kingsley or my mum, depending on what it is.”

“That’s great,” Harry said. “But I don’t really have anyone like that I can talk with.  Ron and Hermione went through most of it with me, and I doubt they’re very keen on reliving it.”

“You’ve got me now,” Tonks said earnestly. “You can talk to me.”

“I don’t want to bother you,” Harry muttered, not looking at her.

Tonks leaned forward and cupped his jaw, gently forcing him to look at her.  Her eyes were wide with concern and compassion, enough to make his heart ache.

“You’re not bothering me, Harry,” she said softly. “I’m here for you, I want to help.  What were you dreaming about?”

Harry closed his eyes and leaned his head against her hand, soft and warm against his cheek. “D’you remember that night you all came for me?”

“It’d be a bit hard to forget,” Tonks remarked wryly, and he smiled a little, in spite of himself.

“I was just thinking about everything that happened then,” Harry said. “George losing his ear, Mad-Eye dying.”

“It was an awful night,” Tonks agreed soberly. “I can tell you I would’ve loved to get my hands on Mundungus after that.”

“We did, actually,” Harry told her. “Turns out he’d sold one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes without knowing what it was.  We had to track him down to figure out who he’d given it to.  Kreacher hit him with a frying pan a couple times.”

Tonks let out an involuntary giggle. “Maybe I’ve been a little too hard on Kreacher.  That must have been funny.”

“It was,” Harry admitted, smiling at the memory.

“Who’s Hedwig?’ Tonks asked unexpectedly.

“What?” he said, momentarily stunned.

“You were saying Hedwig, before I woke you up,” Tonks said gently. “Was it someone you went to school with, maybe in the D.A.?”

“No, not another student,” Harry said, his momentary mirth vanishing suddenly. “You’d think it’s stupid.”

She looked at him patiently. “Harry…”

He sighed resignedly. “Hedwig was my owl.  Hagrid bought her for me the day after I found out I was a wizard.” His eyes suddenly stung. “She died during the escape.”

“I’m so sorry,” Tonks said, taking his hand in both of hers.

“Like I said, it’s stupid,” he said, wiping angrily at his eyes with his free hand. “I mean, getting all upset over an owl when all these people were dying.”

“Hey!” Her voice was soft but unyielding, forcing him to look her in the eye. “It’s not stupid.”

He swallowed against the lump rising in this throat and blinked. “She was the first friend I ever had.”

Suddenly he couldn’t hold back the flood of tears obscuring his vision.  He tried to turn away from Tonks, but she wouldn’t let him.  She seized him and pulled him into a tender embrace, stroking his hair as he cried into her shoulder.  Being held like this only made it harder for him to hold on to his composure, and he struggled against the tears before ultimately surrendering to the memory and grief.

Eventually he calmed, but Tonks still held him close, rocking him slightly.  When he did pull back, sympathetic tears sparkled on her cheek as well.

“Sorry,” he said, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. “Probably just ruined a lot of my masculine mystique with that, didn’t I?”

“I’ll be honest with you, Harry,” Tonks said frankly. “I like you a lot, but you really don’t have any masculine mystique.”

Harry let out a snort of laughter, and Tonks joined him.  They shook with irrational giggles for several moments before sobering.

“You can always talk to me,” she told him.

“Thanks,” he said, feeling tired and sad, but a tiny bit lighter than he had before.

Tonks leaned forward to press her lips gently against his, and he kissed her back.  She’d clearly meant it as a simply gesture of comfort, but comfort quickly grew to need as Harry pulled her close to him.  He hadn’t thought to bring pajamas, so Tonks had suggested the simple expediency of sleeping naked, and their embrace brought their bodies closer together.

Tonks sighed as Harry traced her jaw with his lips, trying to express the thanks he didn’t yet know how to put into words.  She laid back on the bed, pulling him on top of her, and kissing him deeply as he slowly entered her.

They moved softly, almost lovingly, not saying a word but looking at each other the whole time.  Tonks clung to his shoulders, little gasps of pleasure punctuating each breath.  Harry struggled for control, but something about the vulnerability, the rawness of the moment he’d shared with Tonks intensified his pleasure and hastened his end.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck again as he spilled himself inside her, his whole body shuddering from the intensity of his climax.

“Harry,” Tonks breathed into his ear, clutching him tight. 

As they rolled to their sides, their bodies still intertwined, Harry felt, for the first time in years, truly safe.


	9. Mr. and Mrs. Alberton

Harry spent most of Sunday with Tonks as well, relaxing and chatting at her flat.  They didn’t have sex again, whether because she was tired from the previous day or just not in the mood Harry wasn’t sure, but he didn’t push it.  Simply being with was more enjoyable than any other activity he could think of.  Nevertheless, he had trouble shaking the nagging worry in the back of his head that he hadn’t been that good, and she wasn’t looking for a repeat.

He decided to return to his loft for the night, despite Tonks offering to have him stay again.  A very large part of him wanted to take her up on the offer; the prospect of sleeping alone wasn’t that appealing, but he felt he should justify at least some of the rent he was paying.  Plus he worried that Tonks would grow tired of having him around all the time.

So, on Monday he rose to his quiet apartment and prepared to go to work.  It felt strange that so much had happened over the course of a single weekend; he was having a hard time getting his mind back into the search for Alberton.

He’d only barely gotten settled in at his desk when Ron came by.

“So?” he said eagerly. “How’d it go this weekend?”

“Really well,” Harry told him. “She loved the concert.”

“And after?” Ron prompted.

Harry hesitated to reply, not sure what all he should share, but the memory of their post-concert activities brought an uncontrollable smile to his face.

“Hah!” Ron exclaimed triumphantly. “I knew it!  There was no way you weren’t getting laid after a Weird Sisters concert.”

“Ron!” Harry said, feeling his face turning scarlet.

“Come on then!” Ron said. “How was it?”

“Amazing,” Harry said truthfully.

“Well give me details,” Ron said impatiently. “Was she good?”

“I’m not sure how much I should be repeating,” Harry said uncertainly.

“Come off it, I’m your best friend, aren’t I?” Ron said, looking irritated. “You can trust me.”

“Alright,” Harry relented. “Yeah, she was incredible.  I honestly had no idea there were so many positions.”

Ron snickered. “Well you would have if you’d talked to me.”

“She said something rather similar,” Harry remarked.

“What else did you get up to.” Ron leaned forward conspiratorially. “Did she suck you off?”

“Merlin’s beard, Ron!” Harry burst out. “I’m not telling you that!  What’s up with you anyway?”

He looked closer at his friend, and something seemed off.  Ron didn’t look as tall as usual, and his complexion was a little pale.  And now that Harry paid proper attention, Ron hadn’t dressed in clothes that ragged since before he’d become an Auror and could afford new jeans.

“Tonks?” he said in bewilderment.

‘Ron’ grinned at him, and his hair faded from bright red to vivid pink before Harry’s eyes.  In only a moment the features of his best friend were replaced by his far too mischievous girlfriend.

“Wotcher!” Tonks said before dissolving into giggles.

“What the hell?” Harry said, feeling thoroughly off put.  Tonks continued giggling, leaning against the side of his cubicle to support herself.  Behind her, Harry saw the real Ron slouched in a nearby desk, also shaking with laughter. “A pair of comedians you two are,” he said, slumping back into his chair.

“Sorry, Harry,” Tonks said, her eyes still sparkling with mirth. “It was Ron’s idea.”

“Hey, you came to me!” Ron protested, also still laughing.

“You two are terrible,” Harry observed wryly.

“Hey, you weren’t going to tell me anything good,” Ron said. “I need a mate to talk about this kind of stuff with.”

“Apparently you have one now,” Harry said, raising an eyebrow at Tonks, who looked entirely unabashed.

“Kingsley got approval for us to interview Alberton’s parents,” she said, still smirking slightly. “I want you to take lead on this one.  We leave in an hour.”

She left, giving Ron a high five on her way, who took her place in Harry’s cubicle.

“You mad?” he said, still grinning.

“No,” Harry admitted. “I should’ve known this wouldn’t be a quiet relationship.” Ron sniggered. “You know what I mean.  How much did she tell you anyway?”

“Enough to know Hermione and me’ve got competition,” Ron said.

Harry groaned and turned back to his desk. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“Okay, okay,” Ron said placatingly. “But I want to hear more later.  If you don’t say anything I’ll just go back to Tonks.”

“Fine,” Harry surrendered. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to hear later.”

Ron gave a thumbs up on his way out.

Tonks was still giggling occasionally when they left for the Alberton’s residence.  Her cheery demeanor was in direct competition with her somber appearance.  They were both dressed in non-descript, dark Muggle suits, and Tonks’s hair was a subdued brown, the better to impress non-magical individuals.

“You enjoyed that way too much,” Harry grumbled as they rode the golden elevators.

“Yep,” she said with a bright smile.

“You honestly don’t care if Ron hears about everything we got up to this weekend?” he asked skeptically.

“It doesn’t have to be a play by play,” Tonks qualified. “But you can share a bit, I’m not shy.”

“If you say so.” The golden grilles opened onto the Atrium and they composed themselves. “Are you sure you want me handling the questioning?”

“Nervous?” she asked.

“Just a bit,” he admitted.

“That’s totally normal, but you’ve gotta take lead at some point,” she said. “And I like your line of thought on this case.  I’ll jump in if I feel like you’re missing something.”

That made Harry feel a bit better as they Disapparated.

The Albertons lived in a palatial monstrosity of a house that put even their son’s townhouse to shame.  In fact it looked like the giant, grown up version of young Alberton’s home.  It reminded Harry a bit of the Malfoy manor, if only due to its sheer size.  The association was not altogether pleasant.

“You ready?” Tonks asked, looking up at him in good natured concern.

Harry took a deep breath and nodded.  They marched up to the absurdly large front door and rang the bell.  A moment later a well-dressed butler opened the door.

“May I help you?” he asked politely.

“Good morning,” Harry said in his most official voice. “Harry Potter and Nymphadora Tonks, we have an appointment with Mr. and Mrs. Alberton.”

“Might I inquire as to the nature of your appointment?” the butler asked.

“I’m afraid it’s a private matter,” Harry said with a bland smile.

If the butler found this at all odd, he didn’t show it.  Opening the door farther, he motioned them inside before leading them to an extremely well-appointed sitting room.

“If you’ll please wait here, I’ll inform Mr. and Mrs. Alberton of your arrival,” he said before closing the door.

Harry took the opportunity to study the sitting room.  In décor and taste it seemed identical to their son’s, the only difference being size; the place was massive.

“They aren’t subtle, are they?” Tonks said, idly looking at a huge family portrait along one wall.

Harry was about to reply when he noticed a shelf above the fireplace.  Several awards for Muggle service were displayed prominently, along with a much less ordinary trophy.

“Tonks, did you know that Alberton was a dueling champion?” Harry called, not taking his eyes off the award.

“What?” She came over to join him, looking closely at the trophy. “We didn’t have any record of that.”

“It’s European,” Harry observed. “He must have won it while he was abroad.”

“Couldn’t have been a Herbology award?” Tonks grumbled.

Before Harry could say anything else, the door opened and a stately, middle-aged couple entered the room.  Both wore expensive looking Muggle clothing and haughty expressions.

“Mr. and Mrs. Alberton?” Harry said, approaching them. “My name is Harry Potter, this is my colleague, Nymphadora Tonks.” They shook hands, neither of the two Muggles giving any sign of recognition at his name, an odd occurrence for him. “I trust you received our letter?”

“Yes we did,” Mr. Alberton said curtly. “To what do we owe the pleasure of visitors from the Ministry of Magic?”

“It’s about your son, Ian,” Harry said. “Do you mind if we sit down?”

“Of course,” Mr. Alberton said with a smile that did not reach his eyes.  He and his wife moved to an ornate sofa, Tonks and Harry taking two equally lavish chairs across from them. “Can we offer you anything to drink?”

“No, thank you,” Harry said.  It was Ministry policy not to accept anything to eat or drink from potential suspects.

“Well then,” Mr. Alberton said briskly. “What can we do for you Mr. Potter?  It was our understanding that the Ministry of Magic typically didn’t get involved with, what do you call non-wizards?  Muggles?”

“As I said, it’s about your son,” Harry replied. “Have you seen Ian recently?”

Mr. and Mrs. Alberton exchanged a look Harry couldn’t interpret. “We saw him several weeks ago,” Mrs. Alberton answered. “He joined us for dinner.”

“And do you keep in regular contact with him?” Harry pressed.

“Of course.” Mrs. Alberton looked mildly offended by the question. “We’ve never gone more than a month without seeing him, except when he was in school or during that…unpleasantness you all were experiencing the last several years.”

“Could you tell us what he was doing, during his time away?” Harry asked.

“Keeping safe,” Mr. Alberton interjected. “Since it seemed your Ministry was not up to the task at the time.”

Harry let the comment slide, knowing there was more than a little truth to it anyway. “And what about since he returned?  We weren’t aware of any magical employment in the last two years.”

“I’m afraid Ian’s jobs in your world have always been somewhat of a mystery to us,” Mrs. Alberton said. “He tries to explain it all to us, but it goes over our heads.”

“You have his dueling trophy on display, though,” Harry observed, waving at the mantle.

“Yes, he was very proud of that,” Mrs. Alberton said with a smile.  Like her husband, the expression seemed forced to Harry.

Before Harry could continue this line of questioning, Mr. Alberton leaned forward and cut him off.

“Mr. Potter, we’re very busy people, and we’d appreciate you telling us exactly why we’re here.”

It was Harry and Tonks’s turn to look at each other.  She showed no signs of wanting to interrupt him, so he decided to go for broke.

“You both are aware of the recent business with Gregory Brook?” Harry asked.

“Yes, the man forgot where his family was, or something silly like that,” Mr. Alberton said with a dismissive wave.

“It’s actually a bit more complicated than that,” Harry said. “Mr. Brook’s wife and children were magically abducted.  Your son is our primary suspect in the investigation.”

Mrs. Alberton looked confused. “But I don’t understand, the papers said they just went out of town.  Something about a gas leak.”

“The Ministry of Magic usually plants stories like that in cases that involve magic,” Harry explained. “Our office identified that the culprit was a wizard.”

“And how do you know it was our son?” Mr. Alberton asked rather aggressively.

“Mr. Brook’s family was found in your son’s residence under magical disguise,” Harry said blandly.

“What kind of disguise?”

“They were turned into rats.”

“Well that’s preposterous!” Mr. Alberton said at once. “In what way does that prove his involvement?”

Harry couldn’t help looking at him incredulously. “Mr. Alberton, it’s highly unlikely that your son wouldn’t have been aware of such a complex enchantment in his own house.  Not to mention the fact that the rats were on his dinner table.”

“But don’t you people have ways of hiding things that make them impossible to see?” Mr. Alberton pressed.

“Yes sir, we do, but there didn’t appear to be any such spells in use,” Harry replied. “And in any case, your son fled when he was confronted.”

“Of course he ran!” Mr. Alberton said. “The last time your Ministry started showing up at the houses of people like my son, they died, and he had to leave the country!”

“There have been quite a few changes since those days,” Harry countered. “The individuals responsible for those policies are either dead or in jail.  Ian would have known this.”

“Wasn’t there a spell Ian told us about,” Mrs. Alberton interjected. “That makes people do things they don’t want to?”

“Yes, the Imperius curse but-”

“What about that then?” Mr. Alberton said. “Or there was a way for you to turn into other people, wasn’t there?  How do you know it was even our son?” Despite their earlier protestations to the contrary, Mr. and Mrs. Alberton seemed very well informed of magical methods of disguise and subterfuge.

Harry looked to Tonks beseechingly, and she leaned into the conversation for the first time. “Mr. and Mrs. Alberton, we’re looking into all possibilities, including the ones you mentioned.  However, Ian is currently our best lead.  If you can help us understand why he might have done something like this, we can assess whether he’s being controlled or coerced.”

“He would absolutely never harm anyone!” Mrs. Alberton insisted. “Ian has never broken any laws, ours or yours.  Our family has always been very well-respected members of our community, and we resent what you are implying about our son!”

“Frankly,” Mr. Alberton said heatedly, “it seems to me that you have decided our son was responsible without considering any alternatives.  I honestly question whether your Ministry has improved at all in this last year!”

“Mr. Alberton,” Harry said, struggling to hold on to his composure. “I realize that this must be a shock for you, but if you would only help us-”

“No!” Mr. Alberton interrupted, standing up. “I have indulged this line of questioning for quite long enough!  Now we have told you everything we can, and if you want to know anything more, you can come back with a proper warrant from _our_ authorities!”

With a wordless glance at Tonks they stood, and Mr. Alberton called the butler to escort them from the house.  He and his wife glared at them the whole way out.

When the door swung shut behind them with a bang, Harry let out a sigh. “Well that was interesting.  What now?”

“Come on,” Tonks said, looking unfazed.  “Let’s grab a snack.”

She led them to the fancy little café across the street from the Alberton residence, where she bought a tart and sat them down in a window seat with a good view of the street.

“Tell me what you thought,” she instructed Harry as she ate the pastry. “Impressions, hunches, everything.”

“Well,” Harry said, thinking back on the interview. “They got defensive really fast once we told them what he’d done.”

“And what d’you make of that.”

“It’s not really surprising, is it?” Harry said. “Folks like that wouldn’t like hearing about their only son committing a crime.”

“Is that how they sounded to you?  Defensive?” she asked neutrally.

Harry deliberated on the question. “No,” he decided. “It wasn’t defensive, not quite.  It was more…indignant.  As if they thought we were presumptuous.”

“That’s what I thought too,” Tonks said. “What else?”

“They definitely knew more about magic than they let on,” Harry continued. “I mean, it stands to reason that Ian would have told them about some of those spells, but then why lie about not knowing anything?  And then they kept trying to throw off any suspicion.”

“Good.  Anything else?”

“There was something off about the whole thing,” Harry said, trying to put his finger on it. “I couldn’t help feeling like they were expecting us.”

“Why do you say that?” He couldn’t tell if she agreed or not with his assessment.

“I dunno,” he said with a shrug. “Just a feeling.”

Tonks nodded. “Trust those feelings, Harry, there’s usually a reason for them.  And in this case I happen to agree with you.  Something’s not right here.”

Tonks scrunched up her face. “Surveillance.  Again.”

“You think they’re involved?” Harry asked.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Tonks hedged. “But it wouldn’t surprise me if Ian tries to contact them at some point.  We should keep an eye on the place.”

“Is that why we’re here?”

“Yep,” she confirmed. “Wanted to make sure we had a decent vantage point from this place.  And that the pastries were okay.”

“Were they?” Harry asked with a grin.

“Very,” she said, mopping up the last crumbs of her tart with relish. “We should get back, set up a rotation.  God I hate surveillance.”

“At least we won’t be in a tiny little office this time,” Harry said fairly.

“If we were in the office you could finger me occasionally,” Tonks said casually, causing Harry to splutter. “Probably no chance of getting away with that here, is there?”

“No, I suppose there’s not,” Harry muttered.

Tonks was still looking around the café. “I mean, maybe we could enchant the owners to put up tablecloths.  Give us a little coverage.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Harry said weakly, starting to feel a bit warm.

“Probably not,” Tonks said in disappointment. “Oh well, I’ll just have to do this from time to time.”

And without warning, she yanked her shirt up, exposing her breasts to the cool air of the café.  Before Harry could do anything but stare, she pulled her shirt back down, smirking evilly at him.

“What on earth was that about?” Harry hissed, his heart running a mile a minute.

“Having a little fun,” she replied sweetly. “I told you I had an exhibitionist streak, remember?”

“Yeah, but someone might have seen you,” Harry said, looking around.

“That’s kind of the point, Harry,” she said, as if explaining something obvious. “It’s the danger that makes it fun.  Besides, no one here will recognize me.  Even if we come back I’ll look different.  And if it makes you feel better, I made sure no one was looking.”

“If you say so,” Harry said, starting to calm down.

“So what’d you think?” she asked innocently.

“Of that?  It was bloody hot!” Harry told her. “I still can’t believe you did it though.”

“You want me to again?” she asked, toying with the bottom of her shirt.

“Are you serious?” he looked at her in surprise.

“Is that a yes?” She had that devilish look in her eyes again.

Dumbly Harry nodded.  With a quick look around at the café, Tonks lifted her shirt again, leaving it up longer this time.  Harry stared, especially transfixed with the way her nipples had hardened in the cold air.

“Time’s up,” she said, lowering her blouse again. “You doing alright there?”

“Yeah,” Harry managed to choke out. “But I might need to cool down a bit before I get back to work.”

“You know,” Tonks said, leaning forward conspiratorially. “It’s not like we’re expected back for a while.  We could nip over to my place for a minute.  I could help you cool down.”

“Are you _serious_?” he hissed again.

“At some point you’ll have to stop asking me that,” Tonks replied with a suggestive arch of her brow. “Well, what d’you think?”

“You know perfectly well what I think,” Harry said bluntly.

“Let’s go then,” she said, bouncing up from her chair.

Harry followed her, hunching slightly to conceal the difficulties he was having with his trousers.  Tonks led them to the closest alley, where, taking his hand, she Disapparated.

They rushed up the steps to her apartment, showing a serious lack of restraint as she fumbled with her keys.

“I still can’t believe we’re doing this,” Harry remarked.

She flashed him a sultry look over her shoulder. “Get used to it.”

They made it three inches inside the flat before Harry couldn’t wait anymore.  Before Tonks had even finished shutting the door, Harry seized her around the waist and pulled her close to him.  She gasped in surprise, but quickly wrapped her arms around his neck for stability and kissed him.

Their mouths met in a heat of frenzied passion.  Images of Tonks exposed in that little café kept running through Harry’s mind, causing him to pull at her garments frantically.  He pushed her jacket off her shoulders, letting if fall carelessly to the ground.  Then he lifted her shirt up, once again freeing her breasts.  Showing no restraint whatsoever, he broke off the kiss and bent down to wrap his lips around her nipples.

For her part, Tonks hadn’t been idle either.  While he’d been attacking her breasts, she had been busy undoing his pants and pushing them down just far enough that she could pull out his cock and stroke it hurriedly.

They both moaned, Harry against Tonks’s breasts, her against the top of his head.

“Should we go into the bedroom?” Harry asked, straightening up.

“Too far,” she said breathlessly. “Just take me here.”

“On the couch?”

“No, I mean right here.” She stopped stroking him long enough to concentrate, shrinking several inches so that she was almost a head shorter than Harry and even more slender. “Pick me up and fuck me!”

Harry moved eagerly to obey.  Her now overly large pants slipped right off her hips and Harry, cupping his hands under her arse, easily lifted her off the ground and pinned her against the wall.  She wrapped her arms and legs around him to hold on, kissing him frantically again.

It took him a moment to position himself correctly, but he eventually realized he could shift Tonks up and down more easily than bending or raising his own hips.  After this it was a simple matter of lowering her onto his dick.  She moaned into his mouth as he slid easily inside her already sopping pussy.

He didn’t wait to confirm that she was comfortable before beginning to bounce her up and down on his length.  She’d already demonstrated a liking for harder sex, and in any case he didn’t think he could have waited.  Tonks didn’t seem to mind though, vocalizing her approval to the room quite loudly.  Overwhelmed by lust for this woman, he fucked her as hard as he could.

“God yes, just like that Harry!” she cried out, clinging to him.

Harry found that by shifting his hips just a bit each time he lowered her, it produced a more satisfying squeal of pleasure from Tonks.  The position seemed to open her up more than usual too, allowing him to fuck her deeper than normal.

“Harry you’re gonna make me come already!” Tonks gasped into his ear. “Keep going, don’t stop, don’t stop, don…!”

Her words were lost in a magnificent cry of ecstasy as her pussy clenched around Harry and she came.  Worked up as he was, Harry pushed himself as far into her as he could and let go, coming so hard he saw spots.  He struggled to hold her up as his cock twitched over and over inside her tight cunt.  When he was finally spent, he pulled out of her and attempted to set her down gently, making a mess all over their clothes and the carpet as he spilled out of her.

Neither of them said anything for almost a minute.  Tonks was still holding on to Harry’s shoulders for balance, and he leaned heavily against the wall for support.

“That was fucking brilliant!” he managed to gasp eventually.

“Yeah it was!” Tonks agreed, nodding her head fervently. “You feel amazing, Harry.”

Harry looked down, feeling pleasantly embarrassed. “You too.  I’ve really never felt as good as when I’m with you.”

“I can tell,” she said, dipping her hands down to her thighs. “You made quite a mess.”

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“I’m not complaining,” she admonished him with a grin as she started cleaning herself up and sorting out her clothes. “I like messes.  It’s how you tell everyone’s having fun.”

“So you are?” he asked. “Having fun, I mean?”

She looked up from cleaning herself off with her wand long enough to give him a quizzical look. “Isn’t it obvious?  I’m didn’t think I was particularly quiet.”

“No you aren’t, I mean, it seems like it,” Harry hastened to say. “I just wasn’t sure, ‘cuz, you know, we didn’t do anything yesterday.  I thought, maybe it wasn’t that great.”

He looked away and focused on disentangling his clothes.  When he chanced a look at Tonks, she was regarding him skeptically.

“Were you actually worried about that?” she asked.  When he shrugged, she gave an incredulous laugh. “You should’ve said something so I could tell you you’re being ridiculous.  You gave me _seven_ orgasms on Saturday, Harry.  Seven!  D’you know the last time I had that many in a single day?”

“I dunno,” he said, feeling his face warm. “I thought maybe it was normal.  I mean we only just started sleeping together, I didn’t figure I was that good.  I haven’t had time to practice my technique or anything.”

“It’s not all about technique, you know,” she admonished. “Sure, I’ve had guys who lasted longer, or knew how to use their tongues a bit better.  But do you know what a lot of those guys didn’t do?  Pay that much attention to whether _I_ was enjoying myself.  Certainly not the way you did.” She stepped closer to him, and that fierce look was back in her eye. “This is gonna sound like a line, but I swear I’m being honest.  You make me come really fucking hard, Harry!”

Harry’s gave her a hesitant smile. “So it really was good?”

Tonks rolled her eyes. “Yes, it really was.  The reason we didn’t have sex yesterday was because I was totally worn out.  I hadn’t felt that good in a _long_ time, and I wanted to savor it.”

Harry felt his spirits lift considerably hearing this.  Leaning down, he gave her a long, heartfelt kiss.

“Feel better now?” she asked, her eyes sparkling. “Did I stroke your ego enough?”

He chuckled. “I mean, I wouldn’t object to a little more stroking.”

She slapped him playfully on the arm before stepping away. “Come on, we’ve gotta get back and report in.” As they finished sorting out their clothing and made to leave, she glanced over her shoulder at him. “I’ll stroke you all you want tonight.”


	10. The Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're right about the halfway point of the story now. Things have been going pretty well for Harry and Tonks so far. Time for Harry to see if he can do something about that.

The next few weeks were a interesting ones for Harry.  On the one hand very little occurred in the hunt for Alberton.  Harry, Tonks, and several other Aurors kept his parents’ residence under constant watch, but they saw no sign of Alberton, or any magical activity.  However, Tonks shamelessly abused her power as the senior Auror and made sure she and Harry shared the vast majority of their shifts.  Which meant that every day they spent close to eight hours with nothing to do but talk.  Harry loved this, and despite her grumblings, Tonks seemed to be enjoying the time together as well.

Their discussions ranged from childhood memories (Tonks had much more pleasant recollections than Harry), to their favorite subjects in school, and, when Tonks grew particularly bored, their growing repertoire of sexual experiences.

Almost every day after work, Harry accompanied Tonks back to her apartment to expand his physical horizons.  Each night was a new position or act, although Tonks usually insisted Harry eat her out during foreplay.  She didn’t show any signs of growing tired of his Parseltongue trick, and he learned a few new ones in addition.  Harry himself quite enjoyed this as well.  Apart from how much it turned him on to watch Tonks orgasm, she seemed to come more easily after the first.  As his stamina improved, he was able bring her more and more pleasure each night.

Ron was particularly fascinated by Tonks’s ability to experience multiple orgasms in one session.  True to his word, Harry had started to share some less tame details of his relationship with his best friend.

“So wait, she can go how many times?” Ron asked one day over lunch.  Both Tonks and Hermione had been too busy to join their boyfriends that day, so Harry and Ron had decided to catch up.

“We haven’t really tested it,” Harry said. “Or, I don’t know, maybe she has before, but she’s never mentioned it.  Most I’ve ever gotten her to is eight.”

“Eight?” Ron repeated incredulously. “In one night?” Harry nodded. “Blimey, that’s insane.”

“I take it Hermione can’t do that?” Harry asked, curious enough for some outside comparison to ignore his disinclination to hear about his friends’ activities.

Ron shook his head. “Says she gets too sensitive after one.  I’ve gotten her to two a couple times, but it takes a while.  From what you’ve said I’m guessing Tonks is pretty fast?”

“I don’t have much to compare to honestly,” Harry admitted, “But that’s what she told me.  I guess with her abilities she has an easier time with it than other women.”

“You’re lucky, mate,” Ron said. “Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade Hermione for anything, but sometimes my jaw gets sore, you know what I mean?”

“Believe it or not, I do,” Harry said. “Tonks may be fast, but she likes to keep me at it a while.”

“I should try that whole Parseltongue thing,” Ron said speculatively. “Brilliant idea really.”

“Yeah but you never spoke Parseltongue,” Harry pointed out.

“I’ve imitated it,” Ron protested. “Same thing really.”

“Well let me know how it goes.  Or better yet, don’t,” Harry amended. “I’m still not sure I want to hear anything about Hermione.”

“You sure?” Ron asked with a crooked grin. “She’s creative, I’m guessing even Tonks could learn a thing or two from her.”

Harry was privately very skeptical of that, but he just said, “Have her tell Tonks then.”

“Hermione was actually saying we should hang out sometime, just the four of us,” Ron mentioned.

“That’d be fun.  I feel like I hardly ever see you guys these days.”

“Well now you get why,” Ron said with a significant look.

Harry blushed. “It’s not all sex you know.”

“Yeah of course I know,” Ron said, rolling his eyes. “There’s a lot of hours in the day, what kind of stamina d’you think I have?  It’s about getting to know each other.”

“You spent seven years with Hermione,” Harry remarked. “How much more is there to learn?”

“There’s always something to learn,” Ron said wisely, causing Harry to crack a smile. “Seven years or seven days we can always get to know each other better.  Besides, we never had that much time just the two of us.  It was always, well…”

“The trio,” Harry said.

“It’s not that we didn’t enjoy it all,” Ron said quickly. “It’s just that, now we’re out of school, it’s nice getting to know each other like this.”

“I understand,” Harry said with a smile. “Really I do.  And like you said, now that I’m with Tonks, it’s not as though I’ve got loads of time on my hands either.”

“You two got serious pretty fast,” Ron observed.

“Yeah I suppose,” Harry said with a shrug.  He’d been thinking of that himself quite a bit lately too. “It just works, you know.  I feel more comfortable with her than I ever did with Cho or even-” He broke off abruptly.

“Or Ginny,” Ron finished for him. “Hey look, I never minded you two together, but it’s way easier to chat now that you’re not with my sister, so I’m not exactly complaining.”

“Well, anyway.  It’s just a lot better,” Harry went on. “Easier.”

Ron gave him an oddly piercing look. “You know I’ve never heard you talk about anyone the way you do Tonks.  Obviously, it’s different, you’re sleeping with her, but still.  You hardly ever said anything about Cho or Ginny.  Now you never mention anyone but Tonks.”

“Sorry,” Harry said, ducking his head.

“No it’s alright,” Ron said. “It’s just odd.  You’re…happy I guess.  More than I’ve seen you in years.”

Harry had no reply for this statement, so he focused on his food, but it certainly was true.  He couldn’t remember having been this happy, this content, since his earliest days at Hogwarts, long before he’d learned of the responsibility, the destiny that lay ahead of him.

He tried to think of some way to express this to Tonks, some way to tell her how much she meant to him.  Unfortunately, Harry was not skilled in expressing himself this way, and nothing he thought of seemed appropriate.  Gifts were inadequate, and all the speeches he tried to come up with sounded silly in his head.  He supposed he could have gone to Hermione, but he wanted to manage something on his own for once.

Perhaps he should have though, because the way he ended up expressing his affection was a little ill-considered.

They were sitting in Tonks’s living room, reading the _Evening Prophet_ several days later.  Harry had hardly spent an evening at his own loft in the last week.  Tonks had suggested it once, but he thought it was probably more from courtesy than any actual desire to spend time in his bachelor’s residence.  Besides, he was increasingly more at home here with Tonks than in that lonely flat.  His nightmares seemed less intense here.

“D’you think the Cannons have a chance of actually winning a game this year?” Tonks said merrily, looking up from the sports section of the paper. “Their new Seeker actually seems halfway competent.  Not sure how they managed that one.”

Harry looked up from an oddly entertaining column in the gossip section speculating on Harry and Tonks’s blossoming relationship.  This was an increasingly common obsession in the _Prophet,_ yet with Tonks’s help he was beginning to see it as silly, as opposed to insulting.  Their latest theory was that Harry was planning to propose with a ring made out of dragonscale.  They had a jeweler swearing that he had sold the ring to Harry personally.

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but he was suddenly struck by how lovely she seemed, curled up against the arm of the couch.  Her hair was bluish-green today and hung in curtains around her eyes.  Between strands of colorful hair, her eyes shined brightly at him.  For no reason he could identify, the sight of her made his chest swell with emotion.

“I love you.”

The words escaped his lips before he was even conscious of thinking them.  They hung in the air like one of the Weasley’s fireworks, huge and impossible to ignore.

Tonks’s mirthful expression vanished slowly, to be replaced by one of blank shock. “What did you say?”

“I…” A dozen excuses flashed through Harry’s head.  He debated saying he was sick, or pretend he was joking, anything to clear the awful silence now thickening between them.  But the longer he considered the words, the more he realized he didn’t want to make an excuse.  What he’d said, crazy as it sounded to even his own ears, was true.  And if Harry knew anything, it was when the time to back down had passed.

“I love you,” he said again, this time fully aware of, and committed to the words.

Harry had no idea how Tonks might respond to a declaration of love.  He hoped it would be a favorable reaction, but nothing in their conversations had prepared him for this moment.  So he waited, letting her take the time she needed to process.

“What’s this about then, Harry?” she asked derisively. “Getting bored already?”

“I – wait, what?” Whatever else he thought she might have said, this was not it.

Her expression had settled into blank indifference. “I mean it’s been, what, a few weeks?  I expected it to take a little longer before you wanted something more unusual.”

“Why would you think I want something more unusual?” Harry was growing rapidly bewildered.

“Why else would you say you loved me?” she retorted, growing angry now.

“Because I do?” he said blankly.

“Yeah, sure, after three weeks together you love me,” Tonks said derisively. “Why don’t we get around to what you really want?”

“Tonks, I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about,” Harry said desperately.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Harry!” she snapped. “I told you from the start what my boundaries were, and if you can’t deal with that, then you can find yourself someone else to shag!”

And with that she threw down the paper, got up, and stormed off down the hall, slamming the bedroom door shut and leaving Harry to wonder what in the world had just gone wrong.  Inexperienced though he was, even _he_ figured saying ‘I love you’ that early in the relationship was probably going to cause some problems, but he still had no idea why Tonks had gotten so mad.

Eventually it occurred to him that he should probably follow her and try to repair whatever damage he’d done.  He tiptoed down the hall and knocked tentatively on the bedroom door.

“Tonks?” he called softly.

There was no answer, so he tried the doorknob.  It was locked.

“Tonks can I come in?” he said again.

“Go away, Harry,” her voice sounded from within. “Just go home or something, leave me alone!”

“I can’t really go home,” he said delicately. “My wand’s in there.”

There was a pause, then the door cracked opened long enough for her to toss his wand out at him before closing and locking it again.

“Oh good,” Harry muttered, picking up his wand.  He debated his next action for a moment before deciding in for a Knut, in for a Galleon.  Pointing his wand at the door he said, “Alohomora.”

The door promptly swung open.  Tonks was stretched out on the bed, facing away from him, but at the sound of the door opening she turned, looking livid.

“Look,” Harry said, making sure to set his wand delicately on a dresser. “I get that was a little sudden, and I know I upset you, but I’m not leaving here until I at least understand why.”  He walked over carefully and took a seat on the bed as far as possible from his incensed girlfriend.

He thought for a moment Tonks might just curse him from the expression on her face.  But as she looked at him, something seemed to flicker behind her angry appearance.

“Fine,” she huffed. “If it’ll make you happy.”

Harry assumed an attentive pose.

Tonks sat up and wrapped her arms around her shins, resting her chin on her knees.  Her anger faded to a familiar, distant look. “The only other time a guy’s ever told me he loved me, it was to get me to sleep with him.  You remember I told you my first time was pretty nice, compared to other girls?”

Harry nodded.

“Well the guy I was with at the time wouldn’t believe me that I was a virgin,” she went on. “He thought I was lying or something.  We ended up breaking up, and he spread all these rumors around school that I was easy.  So when I started seeing my second boyfriend, I wanted to wait a while before we had sex.”

She blinked, and Harry saw tears sparkling in her eyes. “About a month in he told me he loved me, and he wanted to be with me every way we could.  Like an idiot I believed him.  Next day he broke up with me.  Turns out he just wanted to be able to brag to his friends about shagging the Metamorphmagus.” She wiped angrily at her eyes.

Harry winced. “I’m really sorry, Tonks, I had no idea.”

“How could you?” she said, “I never told anyone about that.  I spent the last two years at Hogwarts avoiding guys as much as I could.  Not that it got much better when I graduated.”

She looked up at him, eyes still wet. “I’m sorry I reacted like that.  It’s just, when you said that, it reminded me of him.”

“I honestly didn’t mean to bring anything like that up,” Harry said as genuinely as possible.

“I know,” Tonks said, wiping her eyes again. “Still doesn’t change the fact that it’s really early for declarations of love.”

Harry shifted uncomfortably. “It wasn’t planned, if that makes you feel any better.  I’ve been trying to think of a way to tell you how much I like you and nothing else seemed quite right.  It just…slipped out.”

“I get it, Harry,” she said matter of factly. “It’s the start of the relationship, everything’s all happy.  It’s only natural you’d get carried away.”

He frowned. “Hold on, I know it was sudden, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t serious.”

Tonks looked at him through incredulous, watery eyes. “Come on, Harry, there’s no way you’re in love with me.”

“Why not?” he said stubbornly.

“Because…” she appeared to search for a reason. “Because it’s too soon.  Because this is your first serious relationship and you’re trying to make more of it than there is.  Because… because you just can’t be, alright?”

Harry looked her squarely in the eye, fierce determination to make her believe him coursing in his veins. “Look, you’re right about all of that.  I know we’ve only been together a little while, and I know this is my first proper relationship.  That doesn’t in any way change how I feel.  I love you.”

The words seemed to distress Tonks. “We barely know each other, Harry!  How could you possibly know you love me?”

“Ron made an unusually good point recently,” Harry recounted. “He said no matter how long you know someone, there’s always something new to learn.  Well I reckon it works the other way too.  Just because I have lot to learn about you doesn’t mean I don’t know I love you.”

“But…you can’t,” Tonks repeated, fumbling for words. “You just can’t!”

“Why not?” he challenged her again. “You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.  You make me laugh, you make me feel better when I’m sad.” He held her gaze intently. “You make me happy.  Why can’t I be in love with you for all that?”

“Because…” Fresh tears started running down her cheeks, but she made no move to wipe them away. “Guys don’t love me, Harry.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “They just want to shag me.”

Harry scooted closer to her on the bed. “I can’t speak for other blokes.  But I’m not lying when I say I love you.”

That same curiously wondering expression she’d worn when he first asked out broke across her face again. “You’re not, are you?”

“We’ve been over this plenty before,” he said. “I’m shit at lying about how I feel.”

“Thank God for that,” Tonks replied with a watery smile, and Harry felt safe pulling her into a hug.  She rested her face against his shoulder, sniffling occasionally while he stroked her hair. “I’m sorry I doubted you,” she said, her voice muffled.

“It’s alright,” he said. “I probably would have too.  And if we’re being honest, I’ll still want to shag you as well.”

She gave a laugh into the crook of his shoulder. “Well the feeling’s mutual, so I suppose I can’t blame you.”

After a while she drew back, and although her eyes were still red, she looked much less miserable. “I hope you don’t mind, Harry, but I’m not sure I’m ready to say it back.”

He nodded, feeling a bit disappointed, but not altogether surprised.

“Will you…” she looked tentative. “Will you say it again though?”

Harry smiled. “I love you, Tonks.”

She seemed to ponder the words for a while before smiling back at him. “I like how it sounds.  Thank you for telling me, Harry.”

“Thanks for believing me,” he replied. “Eventually.”

She chuckled again before leaning into him.

They made love that night, not frantically or energetically, but softly, tenderly.  Harry was mesmerized by the way Tonks moved on top of him, by the curve of her hips and the softness of her skin under his fingers.  When she came, he whispered he loved her again.

After they finished, she lay on top of him, her head resting on his chest.

 “I’ll make you deal, Harry,” Tonks said, propping herself up to look at him. “I can’t say I’ll always succeed, but if you promise to always try to be honest with me, I’ll try to always believe you.”

“It’s a deal,” Harry said, leaning up to kiss her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a shorter chapter, but I figured unexpected declarations of love tend to fill up the space pretty well. Harry's always been a leap before you look type when it comes to action, and it makes sense to me that he'd be no different in love. I'll be curious what folks think of this choice though. This marks a bit of a turning point in their relationship, and I hope people enjoy how the dynamic evolves from here.


	11. Double Daring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There hasn't been nearly enough Ron and Hermione in this story. Let's see what we can do about that.

Harry paid extra close attention to Tonks over the next few days, looking for signs that she was freaked out or concerned by his confession of love.  However, by all appearances she was the same chipper woman he had, by his own admission, fallen in love with.  She laughed and joked and teased him like she had before.

Nor did it seem to affect their dynamic after hours.  They still slept together practically every night, sometimes more than once, depending on how worked up they were.  She was just as passionate, just as energetic as ever.

But she did seem different.  As much as he could put his finger on such things, she seemed…uncertain.  Almost vulnerable.  Every now and then he’d catch her staring at him with her eyes a little wider than normal, like she was seeing him for the first time.  But when she noticed him looking, she would just give him a bright smile and bring up a new topic.

He wasn’t sure if he should say anything just yet; the subject of love was surprisingly delicate with her.  He resolved to let things play out a bit and see how she was doing before deciding whether they need to talk more.

Towards the end of the week, Ron stopped by Harry’s cubicle before he set off on his surveillance shift. “Hermione and I were wondering if you and Tonks feel like grabbing dinner with us on Saturday?”

“Yeah, sure,” Harry said, excited at the prospect. “Where’d you have in mind?”

“Some Muggle place Hermione likes,” Ron answered. “She figured it’d be easier than anywhere the _Prophet_ would be expecting.”

“Good idea.  I’ll ask Tonks and let you know.”

Tonks was elated by the suggestion. “Absolutely!  I haven’t seen Hermione in forever!”

On Saturday evening, Harry went to pick up Tonks for their couple’s date with Ron and Hermione.  He’d stayed at his place for the first time in days, although even the brief time away from Tonks made him miss her.  He knocked on her door and waited, fidgeting in her hallway.  But when she answered the door he was struck speechless.

To date he had seen Tonks almost exclusively in jeans and t-shirts.  The only exception had been during official interrogations or interviews, when she’d reluctantly donned Muggle suits.  In either case she never put on makeup or jewelry.  He hadn’t minded her sense of style, never having cared much about clothing or appearances himself.  The thing he always looked forward to was variations in her actual physique, the changes she made in her hair color or body.

So to see her standing in the doorway to her apartment, dressed in a flowing blue blouse and white skirt, with a gold necklace glittering at her throat and a hint of dark eye shadow was more than a little shocking.

“Well,” she said with a nervous smile.  He finally noticed that her hair was a delicate, feathered black. “What d’you think?”

“I think you look beautiful,” Harry said, stumbling over his words. “But, I thought you didn’t like getting dressed up.”

“Not regularly, but every once in a while it can be fun,” she said with a little twirl. “Although it’s going to drive me mad having to stay in the same shape all night.”

“You didn’t pick these up from George then?” he asked, trying to remember if this was one of the outfits she’d shown him.

“Nope, this one’s all natural.” She looked at him hesitantly. “You sure you like it?”

“Of course!” he exclaimed. “You look amazing.”

She beamed at him. “We should get going then.”

The restaurant Hermione had selected for them was, as Harry might have guessed, French.  Her love of French magic and culture, sparked all those years ago during the trip with her parents, had blossomed fully since she’d left Hogwarts.  Ron now liked to joke that he forgot he was in Britain when he was at home with Hermione.

The maître de lead them to a cozy booth in the back where Ron and Hermione were waiting.  Hermione’s face lit up at the sight of them.

“Harry!  Tonks!” she cried, springing up from the table to wrap Tonks in a tight hug. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!  How is the Auror Office, Ron never tells me anything, I want to hear all about this investigation.  Oh, and how is your mother doing, is she still working with the war victims fund?” And-”

“Let them at least sit down, love,” Ron said with an amused grin.  Neither woman took any notice of him.  At the same time that Hermione was bombarding Tonks with questions, Tonks was firing back with an equally rapid stream of inquiries.

“I know, it’s been what, six months?  You’re a special advisor now, what’s that like?  Is it true you sent your parents to Australia during the war?  Harry said that but I’m not sure I believe him.”

Harry slid into the booth and grinned at Ron, who quickly realized that interrupting this exchange was beyond their abilities.

“How long have you been waiting?” Harry asked.

Ron rolled his eyes. “You know Hermione, she wanted to get here an hour early.  I talked her down to half an hour.”

“Since when have I been that early to anything?” Harry pointed out.

“She thought maybe Tonks sets the schedules now,” Ron said with a shrug.

Harry laughed. “She’s even worse than I am.”

Eventually Hermione and Tonks calmed down enough to sit, although Tonks was still bouncing slightly in her seat.

“Okay, okay,” she said. “You first, you’ve gotta tell me what you’re up to.  How did you land a Special Advisor to the Minister position so fast?”

Hermione made a face. “I’m pretty sure they gave it to me to try and shut me up.  It’s for Elf Legislation, so no one else wanted it.  From what I heard it tends to be a dead-end position.”

“No way it’ll be for you,” Ron said. “Especially not with Kingsley as Minister these days.”

“Is he interested in elf rights too?” Tonks asked curious. “He’s never mentioned anything before.”

“I don’t think he’d ever thought about it, but I’m wearing him down,” Hermione said, with a gleam in her eye.

“You did with the rest of us,” Harry said wryly.

Tonks looked around at him. “What d’you mean, you still have a house elf.”

“Hey, I’d rather set him free!” Harry protested. “But when I tried bringing it up he passed out.  It took me an hour to convince him I was joking and he still cried for the next two days.  What was I supposed to do?”

“Throw a shirt at him and run away?” Tonks suggested.  Ron roared with laughter.

“Unfortunately, Harry’s got a point,” Hermione said grudgingly. “Too many elves are used to slavery, it’s probably going to take a while to change that.  But in the meantime there are some really horrible laws we can work on.  Did you know that a house elf’s owners aren’t technically required to give them food?”

Harry let his attention wander a bit as Hermione regaled them with examples of cruel and horrifying laws regarding elf rights.  It wasn’t that he didn’t care, especially after seeing what enslavement had done to Dobby and Kreacher, but he’d heard most of this before.  He was far more interested to see Tonks’s reaction.  Most witches and wizards, even Muggleborns or half-bloods tended not to care too much about this kind of thing.

To his surprise, Tonks listened raptly to Hermione’s stories of elf cruelty.  As far as he could tell, she was genuinely interested, not just pretending for the sake of politeness.

“This is insane,” Tonks said at one point. “Don’t house elves fell under the Being Division of the Department?  I thought that anything categorized as a Being was protected from physical harm except in cases of self-defense.”

Hermione looked thrilled at Tonks’s interest. “House elves are exempted from the statute.  Unctuous Osbert pushed through the amendment in the late seventeen hundreds, and no one’s bothered trying to fix it since.”

“Have you told Kingsley that?”

“Yes I did, and he seemed really surprised,” Hermione said eagerly. “He asked me to write up an analysis of the law for him to bring to the Wizengamot.”

“That’s great!” Tonks said. “You should talk to-”

She broke off as their waiter arrived at the table.

“Do you all want appetizers too?” Hermione asked. “It’s a lot of food, but we usually get some for Ron.”

“Hey!” Ron said indignantly, but Tonks rather eagerly replied, “Yes, absolutely!”

They let Hermione order the majority of the food, not having much of a clue what anything on the menu was.  When the waiter had taken their order and left, Hermione leaned forward again.

“Anyway, forget about me, what have _you_ been up to? I feel like we haven’t had a chance to talk in forever.”

Tonks shrugged modestly. “Just the usual.  Catching bad guys and stuff.”

“What about this new case you’re all working on?” Hermione asked. “I can’t get any good details out of Ron.”

“What details?” Ron said. “He’s some nutter with a thing for Muggles.  It’s not like he’s a Death Eater or anything.  He didn’t even kill anyone.”

“That we know of,” Harry remarked. “And if he’d had his way we’d all be dead in that house of his.”

“Exactly,” Hermione admonished Ron. “Honestly I’m glad you all are investigating him.  It feels like we still don’t pay enough attention to Muggles, even with Kingsley as Minister.”

“I’ve been wanting to ask you about that, actually,” Tonks said. “Any chance you or your parents have heard of this guy’s family?  From what we’ve gathered they’re kind of a big deal in the Muggle business world.”

“They are,” Hermione confirmed. “And they have a horrible reputation for how they treat their workers.  I’m not surprised they’d go after Brook like that.”

“Wait a second,” Harry said, leaning forward. “You think his parents were in on it too?”

“Aren’t they?” she asked, looking from Harry to Tonks. “I mean, I just assumed, given what I’ve heard about them.  It definitely benefits them, doesn’t it?”

Harry and Tonks looked at each other. “You know we hadn’t considered them as active participants,” Tonks commented. “I kind of wondered if they knew more than they were letting on, but this is something to think about.”

“I didn’t mean to throw you guys off,” Hermione said hurriedly. “It was just a thought.”

“It’s not a bad one,” Tonks assured her. “Just one that hadn’t occurred to us.  You should consult her more often,” she said to Ron.

“The last thing I feel like doing after leaving work at the end of the day is talking about it,” Ron said, casting a significant look at Hermione. “Speaking of which…”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Right, I’m sorry.  That’s his way of saying he wants to change the subject,” she said in an aside to Tonks.

“Sorry, Ron,” Tonks said with a grin. “I’ll pick your girlfriend’s brain later then.”

They switched the subject to a lighter topic.  Tonks flat out refused to believe that Hermione had actually bewitched her parents to move to Australia.  It took Ron and Hermione confirming the story for Tonks to accept it.

“I wasn’t lying!” Harry said exasperatedly.

“I didn’t think you were,” Tonks said. “I just figured you’d misunderstood or something.  That’s ridiculously complicated magic.  They don’t even teach it at Hogwarts.  How’d you manage it?”

Hermione turned red and attempted to look modest. “Well, I’d read the theory during our sixth year, and it seemed straightforward enough.  I didn’t have many other options after all.”

“But then you reversed it too?” Tonks said incredulously. “How’d you even find them?”

“It wasn’t easy,” Ron muttered. “Took us the better part of a month.”

“I hadn’t established any way of tracking them magically,” Hermione explained. “In case I was ever caught.  So we had to use Muggle databases.”

Tonks sat back, looking at Hermione with wide eyes before turning to Ron. “Just in case you haven’t figured it out yet, never make her angry.”

“Oh I know,” Ron said. “One time in sixth year, she set a flock of birds on me.”

“Really, what for?”

“It’s a long story,” Hermione said.  Harry shifted, remembering his part in it. “Suffice it to say I was rather irritated with him.”

“And you settled for a flock of birds?” Tonks asked. “Nothing scarier?”

“I didn’t want to leave any permanent marks,” Hermione said.

“Those scratches took a while to heal,” Ron said.

“You’ve had worse,” Harry said casually.  Tonks and Hermione laughed.

“You could have at least have had some fun with him though,” Tonks went on. “I remember one time – Well, I probably shouldn’t.”

“What, tell us,” Ron said, looking intrigued.

Tonks hesitated. “I really shouldn’t say but…oh what the hell.  It was my fifth year and my second boyfriend had just broken up with me for some rather ungentlemanly reasons.”

“Like what?” Ron asked.

Tonks’s gaze flicked to Harry for a fraction of second. “Let’s just say you’d have to get up pretty early to be more of an arsehole than this guy.  Anyway, I really wanted to get back at him, so I, er, pretended to be Professor McGonagall.”

Harry laughed at his friends’ reactions to this.  Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth in shock, while Ron’s jaw dropped.

“I told him he was failing Transfiguration, and if he wanted to pass he needed to help prune the Whomping Willow.  Without magic.”

“Wait, what does that have to do with Transfiguration?” Ron asked.

“Absolutely nothing, but he wasn’t exactly a Ravenclaw, and I do a really good impression of McGonagall,” Tonks said with a wicked gleam in her eye. “He bought it completely and went out with six-inch hedge clippers.”

“Oh my goodness,” Hermione breathed. “But he could have been seriously hurt.”

“He only got hit across the face twice before McGonagall caught us,” Tonks said dismissively. “Only time I’ve ever seen her speechless, she couldn’t believe it.”

“What did she do?” Hermione said wide eyed.

“Threatened to expel me unless I explained myself,” Tonks said. “I told her what happened, and she gave me a detention and ten points off Hufflepuff.”

“Only ten points?!” Ron repeated incredulously. “These two lost over a hundred once just for being out after dark.  What on earth did he do to you that she just gave you a detention?”

Once again Tonks gave a quick glance at Harry. “I’ve gotta go to the loo, so if you’re really curious, Harry can tell you.”

“You sure?” Harry asked in surprise.

“Yeah, I don’t mind,” Tonks told him. “I just don’t feel like reliving it again right now.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and got up, winding her way carefully through the crowded restaurant.

In unison, Ron and Hermione turned to look at Harry, both wide eyed.

“Believe it or not he deserved it,” Harry assured them.

“How could he possibly deserve a date with the Whomping Willow?” Ron asked.

“I agree with Ron, he could have been seriously hurt,” Hermione added.

“If only,” Harry said. “He told her he loved her so he could get her into bed.  Then he broke up with her and went bragging to his friends.”

He watched his friends’ expressions turn from shock to disgust.

“Okay you’re right, he did deserve it,” Ron said, looking sick to his stomach.

“That’s really awful,” Hermione whispered.

“Yeah so don’t go feeling too sorry for the guy,” Harry said. “Besides, you heard her, McGonagall put a stop to it.”

“Blimey, no wonder she didn’t feel like talking about it,” Ron remarked. 

“It’s a sore subject,” Harry agreed.

“Make sure you treat her better, Harry,” Hermione admonished him.

“It’s not like I’ll have a hard time avoiding that particular situation.”

“You know what I mean,” Hermione said. “She wouldn’t have just gotten over something like that.  It’s bound to still be a sensitive topic.”

“Trust me, I’m aware,” Harry said fervently. “We’ve talked about it.  A lot.”

“I still can’t get how you do something like that,” Ron said.

“You weren’t exactly Prince Charming when we were in school,” Hermione said.

“Yeah but I’d never trick someone into sleeping with me like that.  I’d be much classier about it.”

Harry laughed, but before Hermione could say anything, a huge crash caused them all to turn around.

Tonks had evidently collided with a waiter on her way out of the bathroom, sending a tray of drinks flying all over the place.

“I’m sorry!” she said. “I’m really sorry!”

Harry and Hermione rushed out the booth to help her while Ron roared with laughter.  Between the chaos of the waiter and Tonks attempting to apologize to each other, Hermione was able to surreptitiously repair the glasses.  Harry then led Tonks, whose face was beet red, back to the booth and a still sniggering Ron.

“Why in the world do they _carry_ everything?!” she said. “It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

“Well it was this or a crowd of photographers,” Ron remarked. “But if you feel like being on the cover of the _Prophet_ again we could always pop over to Hogsmeade.”

“No thank you,” Hermione said, rejoining them. “And thank _you_ for helping with that, Ron.”

“What, you looked like you were handling it?”

Under cover of Ron and Hermione bickering, Tonks leaned close to Harry. “What’d I miss?”

“General consensus is, your ex-boyfriend got off easy,” Harry said quietly. “And your current boyfriend shouldn’t forget to treat you well.”

She smiled at him. “So far he’s been treating me much better than I deserve.”

“Hardly true,” Harry said, kissing her.

Ron and Hermione’s argument continued until food arrived, at which point Ron became too distracted to continue.  Tonks drew Hermione into a conversation about advanced Transfiguration theories, and the rest of the dinner passed quite pleasantly.

On their way out, Ron stopped in the bathroom while Harry picked up their coats from the front.  While he was waiting, Hermione and Tonks’s voices drifted over his shoulder, clearly assuming he couldn’t hear.

“I just can’t tell you how glad I am that you two are together!” Hermione was whispering to Tonks.

“I’m pretty thrilled about it myself,” Tonks whispered back.

“No, but honestly, it means so much to us.  None of us can remember seeing Harry this happy.  He really likes you.”

“Well, I really like him.”

Harry took the coats from the attendant and turned back to see Hermione and Tonks both grinning broadly, arms round each other.  Ron marched up a moment later.

“Ready to go?” he asked Hermione.

She nodded. “Promise me we’ll do this again soon.”

“Absolutely,” Harry said.

Outside they bid farewell to Ron and Hermione and watched them Disapparate.

“Did you have a good time?” Harry asked Tonks.

She slipped her arm around his waist and beamed up at him. “I had an incredible time, Harry!  Hermione has the best ideas.”

“Yeah she does,” he agreed.  Abruptly though, he realized that Tonks had eaten very little during the dinner, at least compared to her usual appetite. “You hungry?”

“Oh my god, I’m famished!” she said. “That food was absolutely terrible.”

Harry grinned. “Come on, I know a place near here.”

By interesting coincidence they were only a couple blocks away from the burger diner that Hagrid had taken him after his very first trip to Diagon Alley.  Luckily it was open late, and they grabbed some more substantial food than the French restaurant had been able to provide.

“You coming back to my place after?” Tonks asked in between ravenous bites.

“I can, if you want,” Harry replied. “Wasn’t sure if you were getting tired of having me around.”

“I’ll let you know if I need alone time,” she said. “But I’m getting used to waking up with you on the other side of the bed.”

“Well…” Harry pretended to consider. “Your bed _is_ a lot nicer than mine.” Tonks punched him playfully on the shoulder. “Kidding.  I’ll just need to pop by my place for some clothes.”

Harry’s apartment was feeling less and less lived in each time he returned to it.  A layer of dust that Harry hadn’t bothered cleaning off lay across every surface.

“Sorry about the place,” he said to Tonks, who had immediately dropped onto the sofa.

“It’s actually kind of flattering,” she said. “Feels good knowing you like my decor.  Unless there’s some other reason you prefer it there?” she added with a faux innocent look over her shoulder.

“Pretty sure you know it’s both,” Harry said with a grin. “Just give me a minute.”

“You might as well grab a week’s worth,” Tonks called as he bounded up the stairs. “Save you a couple trips.”

“Good idea!”

He quickly stuffed a random handful of clothes into a bag, taking very little interest in what he was grabbing.  He kept getting distracted wondering if she’d be naked on his bed again when he emerged.

She was not naked on his bed when he came out of the closet.  Instead she was naked on the couch.

“Got a question for you, Harry,” she said casually when she saw him.  Her legs were crossed, and the angle she was sitting meant he couldn’t actually see anything besides the tops of her breasts and the curve of her hips.

“What’s that?” he asked, moving to get a better view.  She obliged him by turning slightly, giving him a proper look at her breasts.

“Can people see through that window?” she nodded to the pane of glass the stretched almost the length of the flat.

Harry looked at the window and back to her curiously. “No, I had it enchanted.  We can see out of it, but no one can see inside.”

“Oh good.” She got up and walked over to the window, glancing out of it momentarily before turning to face him. “So no one will see me sucking your cock in front of it?”

Harry knew he should have gotten used to things like this by now, but he wasn’t.  He just stood there mutely, unable to process the words.

Tonks leaned forward a little, giving him an eyeful. “You know, Harry, I can stretch quite a bit, but this’ll be easier if you come over here.”

Mechanically, Harry shuffled forward until he was within reach of Tonks.

“Now drop the bag,” she told him. “Unless you have some kinky attachment to it, which I totally wouldn’t judge.”

Harry tossed the bag to the side, the feeling beginning to return to his brain.  Tonks closed the gap between them, pressed the length of her naked body against him and kissed him.  He kissed her back, his hands going automatically to the top of her ass, which was easier to reach than usual.  She’d made herself taller, almost his height.

She broke the kiss rather quickly and started working on his pants while also leaning to whisper in his ear. “I need you to do something for me, Harry.”

“Anything,” he breathed.

“Have a look down at the street there.”

Confused, and struggling to focus as she lowered his zipper, he did as she asked.

“See that bloke down there leaning against the lamppost?”

Her hand was wrapping around his shaft now, but he fought to concentrate on the view of the street.  His loft was only a couple stories up, and it wasn’t hard to spot the inconspicuous figure Tonks had pointed out.

“He’s a photographer for the _Prophet_.  Apparently your little hideout isn’t so secret anymore.”

“What?” A note of genuine concern filtered through the haze clouding his mind.

“Relax, we’ll deal with that later,” she said soothingly, nibbling on his earlobe. “Right now I want to give you a little insight into why I get off on this sort of thing.”

She stroked him with the perfect balance of speed and pressure. “Imagine, for a second, if that window weren’t enchanted, and he could see up here?  Think of what it’d be like if the photo on tomorrow’s paper was me on my knees with Harry Potter’s dick buried in my throat.”

His heart jumped at the thought, and his cock twitched in her hand.  She noticed, and pulled back to grin at him.

“Hot, isn’t it?”

She didn’t wait for a response before dropping down and, making good on her words, immediately shoving all of him into her mouth.  He moaned, torn between the image of Tonks on her knees, and the people on the street, blocked from seeing what was happening by nothing more than a thin pane of magical glass.

“Feels dangerous, doesn’t it?” she said with a wicked grin, pulling off him for a moment, but jerking him off with both hands while she spoke. “I mean, what if the spell didn’t work?  What if they could see up here right now?  Do you think they’d enjoy the view?  I made my arse a little bigger, just in case.”

She pulled him back into her mouth and he all but whimpered under her ministrations.  Her head bobbed up and down on his length, massaging him with her lips, tongue, and throat simultaneously, while her hands cupped his balls.

“We could check,” she suggested on her next break. “It’s a quick spell, wouldn’t take long.” Her expression turned mischievous. “But I don’t think I will.  Not until after you’ve come.”

She descended once again, moving at a frantic pace, fucking his cock with her mouth.  Harry honestly had no idea how he’d managed to last this long, but he knew he wouldn’t make it much more.

“Tonks, I’m…” he groaned.  Abruptly she backed off of him and stood up.

“You’re right of course, Harry,” she said briskly. “I’m being selfish.  If they really can see up here, all they’ve had a look at is my arse.  They should get a better view than that.”

And with that, she turned and faced the window fully, bending over slightly and pressing her hands against the glass.  Looking back over her shoulder she gave Harry the filthiest look he’d ever seen.

“Why don’t we give them a real show?”

All of Harry’s good sense had completely fled, and he didn’t even hesitate to move forward and line himself up with Tonks’s wet opening.  He now understood why she’d increased her height; this wouldn’t have worked at all at her normal size.

Tonks sighed as he eased himself inside her.  “Now fuck me, Harry!”

Harry used her slightly widened hips as leverage to establish a rhythm.  He was aided by the fact that she pushed back against each of his thrusts. 

“Think they’d enjoy seeing this, Harry?” she moaned. “Watching my tits bounce while you fuck me?”

Her words spurred him on even further and he slammed into her over and over again, taking out the lust she’d inspired in him the only way he could.

“Got you going there?” she gasped, giving him a vividly satisfied look over her shoulder. “Gonna make me come in front of a window where anyone could see?”

He wasn’t sure he had it in him, but he was definitely going to try.  His hands gripped her hips, struggling to stave off his own orgasm long enough to give her one.  His breath came in ragged gasps as he fucked her as hard as he could. 

Just when he thought he wouldn’t make it, Tonks gave a gasp, and her hands curled against the glass of the window.  Her pussy tightened around Harry, pushing him over the edge too.  He held onto her tightly as they both came hard. 

Breathing rather rapidly, Harry noticed the back of Tonks’s thighs were trembling violently.  Still buried inside of her, he backed up, guiding her with him until they hit the couch.  He pulled her onto his lap and held her close while she recovered.  She leaned back against his chest and shrank down to her usual size.

“See, pretty fun right?” she said, looking back at him with a smile.

“I definitely get the appeal now,” Harry agreed. “But were you really serious about not stopping, even if they could see us?”

She laughed tiredly. “No, I checked the spell before you came down.  All good.  It’s just fun to imagine what it’d be like if people saw everything.”

“Do you actually do it in public too?” Harry asked.

She gave him a sensual grin. “Oh yeah.  It’s even more fun when you stand a chance of getting caught.”

“Have you ever?  Been caught I mean?”

Tonks shook her head. “Not having sex.  Flashing, yes, a couple of times.  But it’s kind of sexy I think, as long as it’s not anyone I know.”

“Besides me,” Harry corrected.

“Besides you.”

They stayed on the couch until both of them were feeling steady again.  Tonks lifted herself off Harry with a sigh.

“I believe we were about to head back to my place?” she said, picking up her discarded clothing.

“I think so,” Harry said, pulling back up his pants. “My memory’s a little fuzzy right now.  By the way, what should we do about that photographer?”

“Oh I’ll Confund him on the way out,” she said briskly. “Just give me a minute before you follow me and we should be all good.”

She marched purposefully from the flat, leaving Harry to look after her wonderingly.


	12. On The Run

“No!  You’re kidding!”

“I’m not, I swear!”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Ask Ron and Hermione.”

“Regulus Black did _not_ steal one of You-Know-Who’s Horcruxes!”

“He did,” Harry said. “Died doing it too.  Of course he had help from Kreacher.”

Tonks looked at him intently. “Promise you’re not messing with me right now.”

Harry held up his hand. “I am one hundred percent telling the truth.”

“Wow,” she said, leaning back in the café chair. “I wouldn’t have guessed that in a million years.  Do you have any idea why he did it?”

“None whatsoever,” Harry said. “If I had to guess it was because of how Voldemort treated Kreacher, but there’s nothing to back that up.”

“If you’re not careful I’m gonna start liking that elf,” Tonks warned.

“He’s really not that bad,” Harry said earnestly. “I’ve actually been wanting to reintroduce you sometime.  He makes really good food.”

“You mean you let him near your food with that filthy rag he wears?” she asked skeptically.

“Oh that’s right, you haven’t seen him since then,” Harry realized. “We got him cleaned up while we were in hiding.  He looks a lot better now.”

“Alright fine, I’ll give him a chance.  Just give me a heads up before-”

She broke off abruptly, staring out the café window at the Alberton house.  Harry immediately turned to follow her gaze and there, coming down the steps, was Ian Alberton.

Or more precisely two Ian Albertons, each one dressed identically.

“Shit,” Tonks hissed rising from her chair. “Polyjuice Potion.”

“You think one of them’s actually him?” Harry asked, standing with her.

“Probably,” she replied, moving quickly for the exit. “Question is which one?”

By the time they got out to the street the two Ians had reached the sidewalk and were walking off in opposite directions. 

“What do we do?” Harry asked.

“We’ll have to split up,” Tonks said with only a slight moment of hesitation. “You take the one on the right, I’ll take the one on the left.”

“You sure?” Harry asked, suddenly afraid to leave her.

“Yeah just be careful, and remember, we need him alive!” she said, already running after her Ian.

Harry jogged to keep Alberton in sight.  The fugitive wizard was walking quickly but he didn’t stop to look behind him.  Harry’s brain worked furiously, trying to figure out what he was up to.  Why had he shown himself now, and in such an obvious way?  He must know he was being followed, he was being so good about keeping his eyes forward.  Harry could only assume he meant to trap his pursuers, and Harry quickly cast a spell that would reveal magical traps.

Without warning, Alberton veered sharply into an alley between two buildings.  Intent on catching him, Harry immediately followed.  He made it about ten feet into the alley, eyes fixed on Alberton’s back, when he heard the slightest of clicks on his right.  His spell hadn’t alerted him to anything, but pure instinct spun him to the side, the incantation for a Shield Charm springing to his mind.

The shining barrier materialized less than a second before an earsplitting crack echoed through the alley.  Something too fast for Harry to see exploded out of a hole in the alley wall that he hadn’t noticed, hitting his Shield Charm with tremendous force.

The barrier held.  Barely.  But the force of the blast still flung Harry against the opposite wall, causing him to see stars.  He struggled to keep on his feet, knowing he was still in danger, and stumbled to the side in case there was another blast.  He shook his head as the sound of footsteps came closer.

It was Alberton, coming to inspect the results of his trap.  Whatever it was, clearly he had expected it to incapacitate Harry, because when he saw that Harry was still on his feet his eyes widened in shock.

That was Harry’s only saving grace.  Still dizzy and off balance, if Alberton had taken the initiative Harry doubted he would have been able to protect himself.  As it was, Alberton’s surprise meant he was able to seize the offensive, sending spell after spell at the wizard.  None of them had as much power as he would have liked, but he hoped it would keep Alberton on the defensive long enough to recover.

Alberton was good though, he blocked each of Harry’s attacks before quickly beginning to rally.  He advanced at Harry, who knew if he backed up any he might run across Alberton’s trap again.  He had no way of knowing if it was a one off set up, but if his suspicions were correct, he couldn’t take the chance.  He did his best to hold his ground, continuing to fire spells.  His head was starting to clear, and for a moment he thought he stood a chance of emerging victorious.

Then the situation changed.

“Harry!” a voice called up the alley.  A voice that had become as familiar to him as his own.

Harry’s blood ran cold as he realized that even now, Tonks would be running up the alley, unaware of the danger that awaited her.

“Tonks, wait!” he tried to shout, but the sound of spells flying drowned out his voice.

Any moment now, he would hear that click again, and the enormous boom that followed.  The only way he could do something about it would be to open himself up to counterattack from Alberton.

Tonks might catch it, just as he had.  She was an incredibly skilled Auror, trained just as thoroughly as he was.  She might be quick enough to protect herself.

Then again, she might not.  In a split second of cold clarity, Harry allowed himself the realization that he was simply faster than her.  Not by a lot, not even by a little, but when reaction times were calculated in milliseconds, the tiniest advantages were everything.  And even if he weren’t, he’d had the advantage of walking through the trap in a quiet alley not one with a duel raging.

In the end it was no choice.  Just as Tonks crossed the final few feet to reach him, Harry spun away from Alberton and shouted, “Protego!”

He was prepared this time, and the Charm absorbed most of the blast, whatever it was, meaning he was able to keep his feet properly.  However, the noise still caused him to wince, and Tonks, who hadn’t been expecting it at all, stumbled and looked around wildly.

Unfortunately, just as he’d expected, the seconds it had taken him to protect Tonks left him completely defenseless against Alberton.  Offered a reprieve from Harry’s attack, Alberton immediately retaliated with a curse Harry didn’t recognize.  He tried to turn, tried to bring back up his Shield, but he knew he’d be too late.  He steeled himself for whatever pain awaited.

In the second before the curse hit, Harry’s vision was obscured by someone interposing themselves between Harry and Alberton.  Tonks, still looking off balance, flung herself in front of Harry and took the full force of Alberton’s curse.

There was a sharp crack, the sound of breaking bone, and Tonks fell against the alley wall with a scream of pain, clutching her left side.

“Tonks!” Harry cried.  A sudden burst of rage and adrenaline cleared the last vestiges of his dizziness.  He focused all that anger with laser like intensity on the figure in front of him.

Harry flung every spell in his considerable repertoire down the alley, forcing Alberton once more onto the defensive.  This time it was clear that Alberton would not be able to hold off Harry for long, and in between flashes of light, Harry could see that realization come over the Muggleborn criminal.  Desperation now showed on his face, and Harry took vindictive satisfaction in knowing Alberton would be his soon.

But Alberton still had a trick up his sleeve.  As his defensive measures became more and more frantic, he fell back farther into the alley.  Vision clouded by rage, Harry didn’t notice him slipping his free hand into a pocket before raising it above his head.

Harry recognized the small vial an instant too late.  Alberton dashed it down upon the ground, unleashing its contents of pure, concentrated sunlight into the alley.  Harry managed to avert his eyes in time to avoid being blinded, but he still saw the flash go off through his eyelids.  Designed as a defense against vampires, the vial made an excellent distraction.

When the light cleared, Harry opened his eyes, blinking against spots.  Alberton was now fleeing down the alley, getting farther away, but still in reach.  Harry began to chase after him, then hesitated, remembering Tonks.

He looked back over his shoulder.  She was still sitting against the wall of the alley, holding onto her left side, breath coming in sharp gasps.

“Go!” she said through gritted teeth when she saw him hesitating. “I’ll be fine, just get him!”

Still Harry hesitated.  He looked back at the dwindling figure of Alberton, then back to his injured girlfriend.  Conflicting desires tore at him, and he wasted precious seconds trying to decide what to do.

In the end, he waited too long.  Alberton reached the other end of the alley and turned, Disapparating.

Harry let out a sigh of frustration.  Letting his wand drop to his side, he returned to Tonks’s.  She glared daggers at him the whole time, but seemed unable to articulate her anger.

“How bad is it?” he asked anxiously, kneeling down next to her.

“Few broken bones,” she hissed, still glaring at him. “Hard to tell which ones right now.”

“Right then, we need to get you back to the Ministry.  Can you Apparate?”

“Don’t think so,” she said, still breathing fast.

“I’ll guide you,” he said. “Just hold on to me.”

She gripped his hand with desperate strength, and he closed his eyes, seeking that constricting darkness.  But the nothingness of Disapparition eluded him.  He opened his eyes in confusion.

“He must’ve blocked Apparition,” Tonks deduced, her teeth still gritted against the pain.

“That’s why he had to get to the end of the alley,” Harry muttered, looking back at where Alberton had vanished.

“All the more reason you should’ve gone after him while you had the chance!” Tonks spat at him, but Harry was too worried about her to care about her anger.

“Okay,” he said, struggling to think rationally. “We’ll have to get you to the other end of the alley.  Put your good arm around me, I’ll help you up.”

“Wait,” she said as he started to get positioned. “Send something to Kingsley, we need to secure this place.”

“Right,” he said, fumbling with his wand.  His hands were shaking. “Expecto Patronum.” A thin stream of silver vapor emerged from his wand, and nothing else.

He frowned at his wand and concentrated harder. “Expecto Patronum!”

This time even less than before.

“What’s wrong?” Tonks said, shifting uncomfortably on the dirty alley floor.

“I’m having trouble with it,” Harry mumbled, staring at the wand in his trembling hands.

“What’s the problem, you’re not thrilled you let Alberton get away?” Tonks snapped.

“The problem is my girlfriend almost got killed twice in the last five minutes!” Harry snapped back, starting to get angry as well. “And oddly that doesn’t inspire the happiest of thoughts!”

He and Tonks glared at each other until she huffed a sigh and looked away. “Yeah I get it, I’ll leave off you for the moment.  But to be honest, Harry, I’d really like to get out of here, so…”

Harry took a deep breath and tried to still the frantic, screaming voices in his head.  It took several moments to get the image of Tonks falling to the ground in pain out of his head long enough to think of something happy.

“Expecto Patronum!”

This time the familiar silver stag burst from his wand and shot off into the sky with his message for Kingsley.

“Well done,” Tonks said with only a hint of sarcasm. “Now help me up so we can get the hell back.”

It was slow going.  Every movement seemed to cause Tonks a great deal of pain, and they had to stop several times to let her gather her strength.  By the time they made it the end of the alley, reinforcements had arrived.  Smith, along with Ron, Neville, and Padma rushed into the alley to help them the last few feet.

“Tonks, what happened?!” Smith asked in concern.

“Had a little run in with Alberton,” she grated. “He got away.”

“I need to get her back to the Ministry,” Harry told Smith. “See what you can find, but be careful, there’s a trap at the other end of the alley.  I think he rigged up a Muggle gun.”

Everyone looked at him in surprise, including Tonks, but he didn’t have time to entertain their confusion.  Reaching the end of the alley, and presumably the Anti-Disapparation spell, he focused with all his might on the Ministry emergency entrance.

This time the constricting blackness enveloped him immediately, and when he opened his eyes they were standing in the little pavilion reserved for emergency arrivals.  Several Medi-Wizards, who had been lounging at a nearby table looking bored, sprang up immediately at the sight of them.

“What’s the damage,” one of them who Harry thought was named Robert asked, guiding Tonks to a nearby stretcher.

“Not sure,” Harry said as they lay her down gently.  The last of her strength seemed to have been sucked out of her by the trip, and she sagged limply onto the stretcher. “Some kind of curse.  I think it broke a few bones in her left arm.  Ribs too maybe, I can’t tell.”

“We’ll take her right back,” Robert said, waving his wand so the stretcher floated up into the air.

“Can I come with her?” Harry asked anxiously.

“It’ll be easier to work if there are fewer people,” Robert said apologetically.

“I’ll be fine,” Tonks said exhaustedly. “Go see Kingsley, I’m sure he has questions.”

Harry watched as they took her back through a simple wooden door at the end of the pavilion, his throat tightening.  Kingsley had added the little infirmary to the Ministry a year ago so that they could handle all but the most serious injuries themselves without having to make the trip to St. Mungo’s.  Harry had never been more grateful for the addition than in that moment.

Reluctantly, he turned to leave, knowing Tonks was right, Kingsley would want to know what was happening.  He was barely aware of the elevator ride up to the Minister’s Office, or the walk down the hall.  He came back to himself a bit when Kingsley’s assistant waved him into the familiar cramped space.

“Come on in, Harry,” Kingsley said standing up and coming around the desk. “Smith sent word ahead; how is Tonks?”

“I don’t know,” Harry said, trying to keep his voice even as spoke. “They’re working on her now.  I think it’ll be alright, it only looked like broken bones, but I didn’t recognize the curse Alberton used.  There didn’t seem to be anything else, but I dunno, maybe something time released?”

He suddenly realized he was rambling and felt his face grow warm. “Sorry, I’m a little on edge.”

Kingsley smiled kindly. “I get it, Harry, believe me.  It’s never easy when you’re partner’s hurt.  I imagine it’s even worse when you’re involved with your partner.”

Harry hung his head. “You think it’s a bad idea?”

“On the contrary, I think it’s been working splendidly,” Kingsley said.  Harry looked up to see him smiling paternally. “The two of you work very well together, and this case has been going smoothly.  Until today I suppose.  What happened out there?”

Harry sat down across from Kingsley and recounted the events of the last hour, how they had spotted two versions of Alberton coming out of his parents’ house, how Tonks had ordered them to split up, how Harry had almost been taken in by Alberton’s trap, and then how Tonks had been injured trying to protect Harry.

“Why didn’t you pursue him like Tonks’s told you to?” Kingsley asked steadily.

Harry had been dreading this question, but thought he had devised a decent response. “I didn’t know that Tonks would be alright.  That spell could have done more damage than she knew about and I didn’t want to leave her alone, just in case.  Plus Alberton could have been leading us into another trap.”

Kingsley considered Harry for several long moments, during which Harry tried not to shift too much. “A bit of a cautious play, Harry,” he said eventually, “but given some of the challenges you’ve had with us, I won’t complain.” His expression turned amused. “Although if I know Tonks, she might not agree with me.”

“You’re probably right,” Harry muttered, thinking of the murderous looks she’d been giving him.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. “Come in!” Kingsley called.

The door opened, revealing Smith and, to Harry’s surprise, Arthur Weasley, looking uncharacteristically serious.

“What did you find?” Kingsley asked at once.

“No magical residue, beyond the Anti-Disapparation field and the duel,” Smith reported. “It looks like the Muggle trap was the only thing he’d set up.  We brought Arthur in to be sure.” At this he turned to Arthur, who stepped forward.

“You were right Harry, it was a gun.  A shotgun to be precise.  He had it hidden in the alley wall and was using a Muggle motion detector to set it off.  Anyone who walked through that spot would trigger it.”

“I guess he got tired of us following him,” Harry remarked.

“Well that’s the curious thing,” Mr. Weasley said. “The gun wasn’t loaded with normal bullets, it was loaded with rock salt.”

“Rock salt?” Harry repeated, baffled.

“It’s nonlethal,” Mr. Weasley explained. “Packs a punch and hurts quite a bit from what I understand, but it wouldn’t kill you.”

“He wanted whoever was following him alive,” Kingsley surmised.

“So it seems.”

“That’s very interesting,” Kingsley said in a reflective tone. “Anything else?”

“Not right now,” Smith said. “I’ve got a team of four keeping an eye on the place in case he shows up again.”

“He won’t,” Harry said. “This was a one off.  Whatever he wanted, he didn’t get it, he won’t try the same trick twice.”

Smith looked to Kingsley skeptically who said, “Harry’s brought us most of the breaks in this case, I trust his judgment.”

Smith nodded, not looking convinced, but apparently not interested in arguing the point.

“You should go check on Tonks,” Kingsley said to Harry. “We’ll pick this back up in the morning.  For now you should get some rest.”

Harry nodded and stood up, following Smith and Mr. Weasley to the door.  Mr. Weasley gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before heading back to his office.

Robert was back in the pavilion when Harry returned.  He looked up when he saw Harry enter.

“How is she?” Harry asked at once.

“She’s gonna be fine,” Robert replied with a comforting smile. “Like you thought, it was just a few breaks.  We set them and she’ll be a hundred percent by the morning.”

“You checked for anything else too though, right?” Harry asked. “Poisons, Dark Magic?”

“We checked everything we could,” Robert assured him. “All clean.  She’s just back there if you want to see her.”

He led Harry out of the pavilion, and into a little ward that reminded Harry of a smaller version of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing.  Beds lined the walls, separated by dividers.  Robert pointed him to one at the end of the ward, then returned to the pavilion.

Feeling unaccountably nervous, Harry peeked his head around the divider.  Tonks was reclining in bed, her head resting on a mass of pillows, looking tired but whole.  Her left arm was in a sling, but otherwise she looked like she always did.  When she heard the rustle of the divider, she opened her eyes and fixed immediately upon Harry.

“Hi,” he said quietly. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ll be fine,” she said stiffly, not blinking as he sat down next to her. “How’d it go with Kingsley?”

Harry recounted the meeting with Kingsley, along with Mr. Weasley’s findings about the trap.  This information seemed to distract her briefly.

“He wanted one of us alive?” she said, almost to herself. “What sense does that make?”

“What happened with the other Alberton?” Harry asked, having been incredibly curious for a while now.

“Nothing, he Disapparated as soon as I got close to him,” Tonks said. “I’m guessing that one was a decoy.  I came after you once he vanished.” That seemed to remind her that she was angry with him, and her gaze snapped back to him. “Speaking of which…”

Harry shifted uncomfortably. “Listen, maybe we should chat about this later, you should rest.”

“No, we’re talking about this now,” she said shortly. “What the hell was that about, Harry?  And don’t give me whatever bullshit story you fed Kingsley.  I told you I was fine!  I told you to go after him!”

“I just…froze,” Harry mumbled.

“You don’t freeze, Harry,” she said dismissively. “I’m pretty sure you’ve never frozen in your life.  So what was it?”

Harry didn’t answer and her expression grew darker.

“Dammit, Harry, we could have had him!  He was on the run and dueling champion or no, you could have taken him!  Who knows if we’ll have another chance like that!”

“I couldn’t leave you!” he burst out. “You were lying there like that, and I just couldn’t, alright!”

“I told you I was fine!” she spat out. “Why didn’t you believe me?”

“You might’ve been hurt in some other way,” he said desperately. “I didn’t recognize the spell, it might not have been just bones, there could have been something else wrong.”

“It was a Fracture Curse,” Tonks said angrily. “I recognized it right away.  I didn’t tell you to go after him because I was being brave or something, I _knew_ I’d be fine.  It wasn’t comfortable, but I wasn’t going to die in the time in took you to catch him.  I also didn’t have time to explain all that to you in three seconds!”

Harry sat back in his chair, momentarily stunned into silence.  Tonks let out a sigh of mingled discomfort and exasperation.

“I thought we’d been over this already, Harry.  If this is going to work, you’ve gotta trust me.”

“I do trust you,” Harry muttered to his hands. “I just panicked.  I didn’t like seeing you hurt.”

“Then you’re in the wrong job,” she replied bluntly. “Harry, why d’you suppose I don’t have as many scars as the rest of the Aurors?  Or you, as a matter of fact?”

“I dunno,” he said. “I’ve never thought about it.”

“Well it’s not because I’m better than anyone else in the Office,” she explained. “Hell, you’ve seen me trip on flat surfaces before.  If it weren’t for my abilities you might think I was related to Mad-Eye.” She gave a little grin to let him know it was a joke, but he didn’t have it in him to smile back.

“The point is,” she went on, “if you’re an Auror, you get hurt.  Comes with the job.  This isn’t the first time I’ve ended up in here, and it won’t be the last.  Same goes for you.  You’ve gotta get used to it, and you need to trust me.”

“What about you?” Harry asked. “Why’d you throw yourself in front of me then?”  Tonks didn’t reply, and he pressed the point. “You said you recognized that curse, so you knew it wouldn’t kill me.  Why didn’t you let it hit me and take out Alberton yourself?”

Tonks looked at him expressionlessly, and he worried she was going to start yelling.  Then a rueful grin broke over her face. “Touché.”

“I’m working on it,” he told her. “But it was a heat of the moment thing.  I messed up.  I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry too,” Tonks said. “It honestly wasn’t the worst call, I’m just pissed he got away.”

“We’ll catch him,” Harry said with more confidence than he felt.

“Yeah, sure,” Tonks said with a yawn. “Honestly I don’t care too much right now.  All I want is to get home and pass out.  Mind helping me back?”

“Of course,” Harry said, moving to help her out of the bed.  She was still moving a bit gingerly, but she didn’t need him to support her nearly as much as before.

With Harry’s aid they Apparated back to her apartment and he helped her out of her clothes and into bed, where she promptly fell asleep.  It was still early, so Harry wandered around the apartment for a while, unable to stay still for longer than a few seconds.  He ended up sitting on the bed next to Tonks, watching her sleep.


	13. Suspects, Studies, and Mothers

Tonks didn’t wake until late the next morning.  Harry was at her side the moment she stirred.

“How are you?” he asked quickly. “How’s your arm and everything?”

“Feels fine,” she said, stretching experimentally. “A bit stiff, but that’s pretty normal.”

“Good,” Harry said with considerably relief.  Despite her assurances, he hadn’t been able to shake the fear that the spell had done more damage than they knew.

Tonks rubbed her eyes and looked around the bedroom in a bleary sort of way. “What time is it anyway?”

“Almost eleven,” Harry told her.

“Eleven!” Her eyes widened. “Why didn’t you wake me earlier, we’re three hours late for work!”

She made to jump out of bed, but Harry held her gently in place. “It’s alright, Kingsley said to take the day off and recover.”

“That’s a load of bollocks,” she scoffed. “Like I need a whole day for a couple broken bones.” But she let him push her back onto the bed and have a look at her.

Harry continued to examine her anxiously, but she looked completely normal. “You’re sure everything feels alright?”

She rolled her eyes, reminding him that she wasn’t the most patient person first thing in the morning. “For the last time, Harry, I’m good.  Haven’t you ever broken a bone before?”

“Fractured my skull in my sixth year,” he said absently, checking her forearm, then bicep. “Lost all the bones in one arm in my second year too, but I suppose that doesn’t count.  Although I did break it first, come to think of it.”

Tonks raised her eyebrows. “I should really stop being surprised by your insane stories, but Merlin’s beard Harry, how?!”

“A house elf enchanted a Bludger to come after me.  It broke my arm and then Professor Lockhart removed all the bones trying to fix it,” he said as he traced her collarbone.

“And see, now I have about a dozen more questions,” Tonks sighed in exasperation. “Why the hell was a house elf making Bludgers chase you?  And why in the world did you let _Gilderoy Lockhart_ of all people try to fix it?”

“It’s honestly not that interesting,” Harry said, now gently probing her ribs.  Everything seemed whole.

“Oh no, of course it wouldn’t be for Harry Potter,” Tonks said sarcastically. “By the way, I may be feeling better, but that doesn’t mean I’m in the mood.” She gave him a pointed look and he realized his examination had brought him very close to her naked left breast.

“Sorry,” he muttered, backing away from her.

“Don’t, you’re being a very caring and attentive boyfriend, and not that I mind that, but right now I’m really hungry.”

“I’ll make breakfast,” he said, jumping up from the bed and dashing out to the kitchen.

Tonks joined him a few minutes later, still not wearing any clothes.  Ordinarily this might have been a distraction, but he was still too concerned and exhausted to react properly.  In any case it seemed motivated more by a sheer lack of motivation to put anything on, than out of a desire to excite.

He gave her a healthy portion of eggs, sausages, and potatoes and she attacked her food ravenously.  For a while the only sound in the kitchen was the clatter of their forks.  Harry didn’t eat much, he kept getting distracted by stray thoughts roaming through his tired brain.

“You alright there, Harry?” Tonks said at one point, looking at him with mild concern. “You don’t look too good.”

“Didn’t sleep that well,” Harry said, rubbing eyes that felt dry as sand.  Truthfully, he hadn’t slept at all.

Tonks sighed and pushed aside her mostly empty plate. “Alright, we might as well get this out of the way now.  Yesterday didn’t go the way it should have.”

Harry wasn’t really in the mood to discuss this right now, but he supposed it couldn’t be avoided. “How so?”

“Alberton shouldn’t have gotten away,” Tonks said bluntly. “I should have let that curse hit you and taken him out.  And even if I hadn’t, you should have listened to me and gone after him.  We both made bad calls because we weren’t being rational, and the fact that he escaped is on both of us.  Clearly us being in a relationship is complicating our ability to do our jobs properly.”

“So what’s the solution?” Harry said, fearing her answer.

“Obviously I’m not interested in breaking up,” she said, making him feel a bit better. “But we need to figure out how to deal with the ways it impacts our work.”

“You think we shouldn’t pair up in the field anymore?” he guessed.

“That thought crossed my mind, but I feel like that’d be running from the problem,” she replied honestly, looking at him steadily. “There’s no guarantee that we’ll never have to work together, especially if there’s an emergency call.  We can’t just bury this and hope for the best.”

That caused Harry considerably relief; despite logically knowing that they might not always be partnered up, he couldn’t help not wanting to lose the time they’d been sharing together.

“In the end, it all comes back to trust,” she continued. “We need to be able to trust each other’s calls, and more than that we need to trust that we can each take a punch.”

“What d’you mean?”

“What happened yesterday was because we were each afraid of the other getting hurt,” she elaborated. “But like I said in the infirmary, that’s going to happen no matter what.  We need to be prepared for it, so it doesn’t mess with our decisions again.”

Harry thought again about the sickening moment of fear the day before when the curse had hit Tonks. “I don’t know if I like that sound of that,” he said honestly.

“I don’t much care for it either,” Tonks admitted. “But I don’t see another good solution, short of one of us quitting the Aurors.  I’m not willing to do that, and I’m guessing you aren’t either.

Despite having seriously considered doing just that hardly a month ago, the idea now held no appeal to Harry.  Quite apart from enjoying his time with Tonks, he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.  He couldn’t forget that the Brook family was alive and well because he was an Auror.  Resolutely, he shook his head.

“I didn’t think so.  What do you think then?  Can you deal with the idea of me getting hurt again?”

“Are you saying I should just leave you to fend for yourself?” Harry asked, stomach twisting.

“Not at all,” she replied evenly. “You’ve just got to be smart about it.  Like that shotgun thing.  You didn’t know what that would do, it could have killed me.  You made the right call blocking me from it, at least as far as I’m concerned.  But if I’m not in imminent danger, then yeah, you keep focused on the mission, not me.”

“What if I don’t know the difference?”

“You’re an Auror, you should always know the difference,” Tonks responded mercilessly. “Given everything, I’m going to accelerate your training.  From now on any spare moment you have that’s not spent on a case, you’ll use to research venoms, curses, and anything else we can think of.  I want you to know every single possible way a person can get hurt with magic.”

The prospect of achieving that level of knowledge was daunting, but Tonks’s expression brooked no argument, and he nodded.

“Good,” she said, softening. “And on the off chance you don’t recognize something, you’ll trust my word on it.  Unless I’m unconscious.  Or incapable of speech.  In that case I’d much rather you make me a priority.”

“Will do,” he promised. “What about you though?  You said this wasn’t a one-sided thing.”

“It’s not.  I have one last idea for both of us.” She took a deep breath, as though steeling herself. “You and I are going to talk.  We’re going to share every injury we’ve ever had, no matter how big or small with each other.”

Harry thought about some of the hurts he’d suffered over the years. “That sounds…unpleasant.”

“It is,” she said. “But it’ll give each of us a sense of what the other’s been through and what we’re capable of handling.”

He wasn’t thrilled about the idea, but he saw the merit of it. “Alright.  Do we start now?”

“God no,” Tonks said, her face growing pale. “I don’t feel like reliving any of that right now, and besides I just ate.  We’ll pick it up soon though.”

Harry readily agreed with that. “What do you want to do today then?”

“If it’s all the same with you, I’d rather get back to work,” she said. “I’m still bugged Alberton got away, and I don’t want to give him a chance to work up another clever trap like that.”

“I’ve got some thoughts on that, actually,” Harry said eagerly.  Unable to sleep, he’d spent considerable time last night thinking about the case. “We’ve got no direct leads on Alberton.  We could interrogate his parents again, but they’d just lie, say they hadn’t seen him.”

“You’re probably right,” Tonks said after a moment’s reflection. “Or make up some excuse.  Clearly he’s coached them in magical plausible deniability.”

“Right, so I figure we focus on his friend.”

“His friend?” Tonks repeated in confusion.

“Yeah, the one you were after,” Harry said. “I mean, we don’t know for sure that either of them was Alberton, but it stands to reason that the one I went after was actually him.  But the other one had to be a wizard, right?  Otherwise how would he have Disapparated?”

“You know, I hadn’t even thought about that,” Tonks said with a look of surprised excitement. “You’re right, it had to be another wizard.”

“So there’s our lead,” Harry said eagerly. “We start with friends and acquaintances, and go from there.”

“That’s assuming it wasn’t just some bloke he’d put under the Imperius Curse,” Tonks pointed out.

“That’s true,” Harry admitted. “But I’ve got a hunch he wouldn’t do that.  You notice that not many of the spells he’s used have been lethal?  I mean, he could have hit me with Avada Kedavra in that alley, but he didn’t.  Come to think of it, why didn’t he just use the Imperius Curse on Brook, why go to all that trouble of blackmailing him?  I think he’s avoiding anything that would get him an automatic trip to Azkaban.”

“Maybe,” Tonks said skeptically. “That trap in his house could have been pretty lethal.”

“That felt more like a way to get rid of evidence,” Harry countered. “I think he just panicked when we showed up.  He’s not exactly the Death Eater type, I don’t think he’s going around enslaving people.  Using a friend or someone he’d hired as a decoy fits his profile much better.”

“I’m still not quite sure,” Tonks said. “But we don’t have anything else to go on, so let’s give it a shot.”

They got dressed quickly and prepared to head for the Ministry.  As they were about to leave, Tonks let out a sudden groan.

“What is, what’s wrong?” Harry said in alarm, looking closely at her for signs of magical illness.

“I just remembered,” she said, looking grumpy. “I need to send something to my mum, let her know what happened.  She’s gonna make such a big deal.”

 ***

Kingsley was unsurprised to see Tonks back at work so fast, although he gave Harry a rueful smile when she wasn’t looking.  Like Tonks he was somewhat skeptical of Harry’s theory, but he agreed that there were few other leads for them to pursue.

Figuring out who Alberton might have been close to, during or after his school days, turned out to be much more time consuming and challenging than Harry had anticipated.  Tonks recalled a couple names, but since he’d been several years ahead of her and in a different house, she hadn’t paid much attention.  They sent a letter to McGonagall for more information, but knew it might be a while before she responded.  In the meantime, Tonks decided to focus on his admittedly sparse employment record, looking for coworkers of similar age.

It was tedious work, but she took the majority of it.  With Kingsley’s approval, she started Harry immediately on an accelerated course of defensive study typically reserved for only the most advanced recruits.  Harry spent most of the day in the Auror library, immersed in books on curses and jinxes.  By the time they left, much later than everyone else, his brain was swimming with a jumble of half memorized counter spells and passages.

Tonks looked equally exhausted, despite her earlier assurances that she was ready to return to work.  The moment they crossed the threshold into her apartment, she collapsed bonelessly onto the sofa. 

Harry would have dearly loved to join her, but he knew she’d need to eat again soon and moved to the kitchen.  A lone parchment envelope on the counter caught his attention.

“You’ve got a letter,” he told her after examining the addressee.

“Chuck it here,” she said, raising a hand from the couch.  He tossed it over to her and turned to dinner.

Tonks joined him just as he was finishing up.  He slid a half a roast chicken across the counter to her, noticing her disgruntled expression as he did.

“What’s up?” he asked. “Still uncomfortable?”

She shook her head. Harry noticed she had the open envelope in her hand. “My mum wrote back,” she said, waving the letter.

“That was fast,” Harry remarked.

“I’m actually surprised she stopped at a letter,” Tonks said. “I half expected her to barge into the Ministry the moment she got my message.”

Harry frowned. “I didn’t take her for the barging type.”

Tonks shrugged. “She was always a little over protective, but since my dad – well, you know.” She looked down. “She’s gotten a lot worse.”

Harry stood there awkwardly.  They’d never discussed Tonks’s mother before, and he wasn’t sure what to say. “What did the letter say?”

Tonks didn’t answer at once.  When she did speak, she still wasn’t looking at Harry. “Remember how I said she wanted to meet you?  Well, it’s less a request now and more a demand.”

Harry took a bite of chicken, pondering that. “She say when?”

“She didn’t specify.  However,” Tonks continued delicately, “she implied that the longer we put it off, the more that would indicate your lack of interest in my safety.”

“How does that follow?”

Tonks sighed. “My mum’s not exactly thrilled about me seeing you, Harry.  She thinks it’s not safe around you.”

Harry stared at her in surprise, then burst out laughing.  Tonks regarded him with something approaching alarm, but that just made him laugh harder.

“Care to let me in on the joke?” she asked carefully.

Harry got himself under control. “It’s just ridiculous. I’ve literally had woman ask me to marry their daughters, but the mother of the person I’m _actually_ with doesn’t approve.  I mean, what are the odds of that?”

Tonks cracked a brief smile. “It doesn’t really matter if she approves or not.  _I_ approve, that’s what’s important.”

“Still, I’m guessing we don’t want to antagonize her,” Harry said.

“No, I suppose we don’t,” Tonks said resignedly. “Tomorrow okay, or is that too soon?”

“That’s fine,” Harry said, feeling some trepidation.

“Don’t worry,” she said reassuringly. “I’ll run interference.”

But he couldn’t help noticing that Tonks seemed rather nervous herself the rest of the night.

 ***

Harry had trouble focusing on his studies the next day.  The prospect of meeting Tonks’s potentially hostile mother had him too distracted to properly take in any of the information he was reading.  He kept glancing nervously at his watch, the hours ticking by slower than ever.

Finally, at six o’clock, he and Tonks left the Ministry for her mother’s house.  Tonks grew increasingly nervous as they got closer, and Harry noticed that she hadn’t done anything with her hair color all day.  When they reached the front door she paused before knocking, wringing her hands apparently unconsciously.

“Listen, Harry,” she said suddenly, turning to face him. “Don’t let her bug you or anything.  I know she’s not the easiest person in the world to get along with, but she means well.  I think.”

Harry was starting to feel actively alarmed. “Tonks, I’ll be fine.  I’m pretty sure your mum isn’t as bad as Death Eaters.”

That seemed to sooth Tonks. “Yeah, you’re right,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Marching up she wrapped smartly on the door.  It opened almost immediately, revealing Andromeda Tonks.  She looked exactly the way Harry remembered, a softer, kinder version of her sister Bellatrix, although still a bit haughty.  The warm smile she gave Tonks helped as well.

“Nymphadora,” she said, hugging her daughter.

“Hi Mum,” Tonks said in a slightly weary way. “You remember, Harry?”

“Yes,” she said, letting go of Tonks and turning to Harry. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Likewise, Mrs. Tonks,” Harry replied, holding out his hand.  He hoped the fact that he didn’t shout or point his wand at her this time helped a bit.

“You can call me Andromeda, Harry,” she said, shaking his hand. “Otherwise it might get confusing, given my daughter’s preference.” There was the slightest brittleness to her tone when she said this.

“I’ve told you before, if you wanted me to use my given name, you should’ve given me a better one,” Tonks said impatiently. “Can’t you at least call me Dora, like Dad did?”

Andromeda’s nostrils flared, and her resemblance to Bellatrix increased. “If I had wanted to call you Dora, I would have named you that!”

Tonks opened her mouth to reply angrily, but Harry, painfully aware of the fact that they were still standing on the porch, intervened. “Maybe we should head inside, before we start the debate on what to call each other,” he suggested delicately.

Andromeda and Tonks both blinked and seemed to become aware of their surroundings. “You’re right, of course, please come in,” Andromeda said, composing herself.

She led them into the living room, which Harry still remembered vividly.  Harry and Tonks sat down on the couch where Ted had once tended to Harry, while Andromeda went into the kitchen to make tea.

“Off to a great start,” Tonks muttered darkly.

“You two look like you’ve been having that fight for a while.  Old argument?” Harry guessed.

“Only as long as I’ve been able to speak,” Tonks said in frustration. “Merlin’s beard, why did she give me that name?!”

“I dunno, it’s starting to grow on me,” Harry mentioned casually. “I was thinking I might start using it.”

The look Tonks gave him could have rivaled a Basilisk’s stare. “You try it and I’ll hex you into the next decade.”

“Alright, alright,” Harry backed off. “I’ll just call you Nymph then.  But only in the bedroom.”

Tonks glared at him for a moment longer before looking away with an unwilling huff of laughter. “Okay, fine, make fun of me.” But her body language had relaxed a little.

At that moment, Andromeda reappeared, carrying a tray with tea cups and biscuits.  She set it down in front of Harry and Tonks, took a cup, and sat in a chair facing them.  An uncomfortable silence soon stretched between them, broken only by the occasional clink of china.

Eventually Harry realized that Tonks was definitely not planning to take charge of this get together, and despite her assurances, he was rather anxious to leave Andromeda with a good impression.  Steeling himself for potential disaster, he spoke into the tense silence.

“So, Andromeda, how’s your work with the War Victim’s Fund going?” he asked in what he hoped was a pleasant tone.

Andromeda gave him a sharp look, and he stopped breathing in fear.  But her expression softened and she said, “Quite well.  It’s not always the most pleasant work, but it’s worthwhile.”

“I’m glad you’re doing it,” Harry said, starting to breathe again. “If I can ever help, just let me know.”

She appeared to evaluate him for a moment before nodding once.  Turning to Tonks, she asked, “And how has the Auror Office been?” The brittle note had returned to her voice.

“Same as always,” Tonks said shortly.

“That’s all you have to say?” Andromeda said incredulously. “Especially after what happened to you?”

“It’s happened before, Mum,” Tonks said impatiently. “What d’you expect me to say, it’s part of the job.”

“Exactly!  Haven’t you had enough of this sort of thing?  How many times have you been hurt working for the Aurors?”

“No more than anyone else in the Office,” Tonks retorted. “I can take care of myself, you know.”

“It’s not a matter of being able to take care of yourself!” Andromeda said heatedly. “Your father could take care of himself, that still didn’t keep him safe.  I would have thought you’d realize by now that no matter how capable you are, you can’t guarantee anything!”

“I really wish you’d stop bringing up Dad when we talk about this,” Tonks muttered, looking away from her mother.

“I’ll keep bringing him up until you see some sense!” Andromeda shot back. “You barely survived the war.  And now you’re with _him_!” She gestured at Harry, who had very much been hoping to remain anonymous in this conversation. “Of every wizard or Muggle you could have chosen, you picked the most dangerous man in the country!”

Tonks’s head snapped back to glare at Andromeda.  Her hair had turned pitch black. “Who I decide to go out with is precisely none of your business, Mother.” Her voice was a deadly quiet that scared Harry far more than if she’d been yelling.

Andromeda didn’t speak for a moment.  When she did, it was in a tone of forced calm. “You’re right, I’m sorry, sweetheart.  Who you’re with is your choice.”

“Thank you,” Tonks said stiffly, her hair fading back to brown.

“But that doesn’t change the fact that you seem determined to chase every danger imaginable,” Andromeda continued. “Why can’t you find something safer to do with your life?”

“For the last time, Mum, I like what I do!” Tonks said, firing up again. “It makes me happy.  And I’m surprised I should have to explain that to you after what you did to bring in Bellatrix and Rodolphus!”

“So this is my fault then?” Andromeda replied, equally heated. “I set you one reckless example and your whole life is defined by it?”

“You weren’t reckless, Mum, you were brilliant!” Tonks countered. “It was one the best things you’ve ever done, and what’s wrong if I want to do the same?”

“I only did it once!” Andromeda protested. “And only when I had no other choice.  You’re out there every single day, and I don’t understand why it has to be you!”

“Because I’m good at it!” Tonks exclaimed. “The only other Auror alive with a success rate higher than mine is Kingsley, and he’s the bloody Minister!  You know how many of us even made it through the war?  Ten.  Out of seventy.  Shouldn’t that tell you something?”

“It tells me I could lose you as easily as I did your father,” Andromeda countered. “Is that what you want?  To leave me completely alone?!”

Tonks sat back, breathing heavily. “That’s not fair,” she said softly. “You know I miss him as much as you.”

“Then why are you so determined to follow him?”

Tonks didn’t reply right away.  She reached into her back pocket and took out a photograph, tossing it onto the coffee table in front of her mother.  Harry saw an upside down picture of a girl, maybe eight years old, waving cheerily up at them.

“That girl’s name is Abigail,” Tonks said softly. “She was taken by Death Eaters because her parents worked for the Floo Network, and they wouldn’t help tamper with the lines.  We found where they were holding her, but I was only able to get her out because I could imitate Dolohov.  _Me_.  No one else could have managed that.  _I’m_ the reason Abigail is alive today.  If anyone could understand why that matters to me, I figured it’d be you!”

And with that she stood and stormed out of the room and down the hall.  Harry hesitated, uncertain of what to do.  He made to stand and follow her, but Andromeda stopped him.

“Let her go,” she said. “Give her a chance to cool down first.”

Harry sank back warily onto the couch, eyeing Andromeda, but the elder Tonks wasn’t looking at him.  She’d picked up the photo of little Abigail and was looking at it forlornly.

“The first time she ever solved a case she was over the moon,” Andromeda said quietly. “It was all she talked about for a month.  Ted didn’t help of course, brought it up whenever she was over.  He was so proud of her.” Tears sparkled in eyes so similar to her sister’s.

“She _is_ really good at her job,” Harry said tentatively.

Andromeda looked up at him. “You of all people should know that’s not enough.  How many people who were just as good as her didn’t survive the war?”

“Too many,” Harry admitted.

“She’s right of course,” Andromeda said, brushing at her eyes. “No one else could do what she can, just like no one else could have done what I did with Bellatrix.  But why couldn’t it be someone else’s daughter?” Her head dropped into her hands.

Harry had no response for this, and stayed silent.  After a minute Andromeda looked up at him, her eyes red, but more composed than before.

“I am sorry for dragging you into this, Harry,” she said, albeit somewhat reluctantly. “I admire everything you’ve done for our world, I really do, but you have to admit you’re not the safest person to be around.”

This was truer than Harry was comfortable acknowledging. “People don’t try to kill me nearly as much these days,” he tried to offer.

“That’s not a lot of comfort,” she said. “Especially when I got a letter that my daughter was injured hardly a few weeks after she starts seeing you.”

“I don’t think the two were necessarily related,” Harry said, not entirely truthfully.

“That doesn’t make the timing much better from my end.”

They lapsed into a silence that wasn’t quite as bad as the last one, but only by a bit.

“You might as well check on her,” Andromeda said eventually. “She’s probably in her room.”

Harry hesitated. “You sure you don’t want to?”

“I imagine I’m the last person she wants to see right now,” Andromeda remarked bitterly.

Harry got up but paused in the doorway to the hall. “This probably doesn’t help much,” he said to her. “But I love your daughter more than anything, and every second we’re out there, I’m doing my best to look out for her.  Odds are, if I hadn’t been with her the other day, she’d have been hurt much worse.”

Andromeda looked up at him. “And if I know her, she’s looking out for you too.”

“She’s already saved me more than once,” he said.

She huffed sigh. “Believe it or not, but that does help a little.  Go on and see how she’s doing.”

Harry found Tonks in her childhood bedroom, just as Andromeda said he would.  He knocked on the door, saying, “It’s me, can I come in?”

“Sure,” a despondent voice replied from within.

He eased open the door and stepped into Tonks’s bedroom.  Despite the rather depressing circumstances, he couldn’t help taking a curious glance around.  Tonks appeared to have cleared out most of her childhood possessions, but a few things still remained, like the moving poster of the Weird Sisters on the wall above her bed.

Tonks herself was stretched out on the bed, staring at the ceiling.  She shifted a bit to make room for Harry to sit next to her.

“How are you doing?” he asked, taking one of her hands.

She didn’t reply right away, but continued to examine the ceiling with unseeing eyes. “I always got on better with my dad,” she said abruptly. “My mum was too overbearing for my liking.  Always wanted me to play it safe, fit in.  She used to fret whenever I’d change my hair or something.  Said I shouldn’t draw too much attention to myself.

“I told my dad when I lost my virginity, not her.  Can you believe that?” she went on. “What girl goes to her dad with that sort of information?  But he took it well.  Anytime I had a bad break up, I’d go to him to cry.  And when I joined the Aurors and Mum went ballistic, he smoothed it over.  I never figured out how to talk with her.”

Harry squeezed her hand comfortingly. “She just wants you to be safe.  Can you blame her, with her family and everything?”

“No, I suppose not,” Tonks said. “I just wish she would trust me for once that I know what I’m doing.”

“She doesn’t want to lose you too.”

Tonks blinked rapidly. “I just wish I could talk with her.  I miss my dad.  I’m tired of feeling so alone.”

Despite her efforts, tears began sliding down her cheeks.  She squeezed her eyes shut, but they continued to flow.

Uncertainly, Harry reached for her, and she immediately flung herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder.  Harry hadn’t come a long way from his time with Cho, but he knew a bit better how to comfort a girl in distress now.  He held her close and stroked her back, letting her wet his shirt with her tears.

“For what it’s worth,” he said softly. “You’re not alone.  You’ve got me.  I know I can’t replace your dad, but I love you.”

She pulled back to look at him, sniffing. “Thank you, Harry.  You make it a lot better.”

“I don’t really know what I’m doing,” he admitted. “But I’m trying.”

“You’re doing amazing,” she said. “Honestly.  I’m sorry I keep unloading on you like that.  I can’t be a laugh to be around these days.”

“I’m not with you because you’re a laugh,” he said seriously. “I’m with you because you make me feel better about everything.  What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t try to do the same for you?”

Fresh tears welled at the corners of her eyes as she took in his words.  Leaning forward, she gave him a deep, if watery, kiss.

“I really don’t deserve you, Harry,” she mumbled when she pulled back.

“That’s bollocks, and you know it,” Harry said. “And for the record, your mum loves you just as much as I do.  I think she just has a bit of trouble expressing it.”

“I know,” Tonks said. “And thank you.”

He continued to hold her until she’d calmed enough to go back out.  They found Andromeda, still sitting in the living room, holding Abigail’s picture.

“Hey mum,” Tonks started to say, “I just-”

But Andromeda had risen from her chair and crossed to Tonks, pulling her into a fierce hug.  Tonks looked surprised for a moment, then returned the hug.  Harry stayed back, letting mother and daughter hold each other for several minutes.  When they released each other, both of them had tears in their eyes again.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Andromeda said, looking at Tonks squarely. “I really wish you’d consider something less risky as a career, but if this is what you want, I’ll do my best to accept it.”

“Thanks, mum,” Tonks said with a watery smile. “It really is.”

Andromeda returned the smile, squeezing Tonks’s shoulders. “I know you probably have to go, but can we try this again next week?  I promise I’ll be less dramatic.”

“Sure,” Tonks replied. “I’d like that.” She moved to take the photography of Abigail, but Andromeda held back.

“Do you mind if I keep it?” she asked hesitantly. “I remember your father used to keep clippings any time your cases made it into the _Prophet_.  I thought maybe I’d do the same.”

From his vantage, Harry saw Tonks swallow hard. “Yeah, of course.  See you next week, Mum.” And she turned away quickly, presumably so her mother wouldn’t see the fresh tears streaming down her cheeks.

Andromeda turned to say goodbye to Harry.  He held out his hand again, but she bypassed it and gave him a brief hug as well.  She held onto his arms as she stepped back.

“Do everything you can to take care of her,” she said feelingly.

“I’ll do my best,” Harry promised her gravely.

“Good, because if you let anything happen to her,” Andromeda’s grip tightened on his arms, “you’ll think Bellatrix was the sane one in our family.”

Looking at the deadly seriousness in her eyes, he fully believed her.

“Yes ma’am.”

As they walked down the path from Andromeda’s house, Tonks asked Harry, “What did my mum say to you just then?”

“Oh, she just implied she’d torture me into insanity if I let you get hurt.”

“Hm, she must like you,” Tonks said speculatively. “The last time I brought a guy home she just openly threatened to kill him.”

“Lucky me.”

 ***

The rest of the week passed without much incident.  Harry spent his days studying, Tonks and a couple other Aurors worked on tracking down Alberton’s friends and acquaintances.  The only thing of note was a very unexpected visit from McGonagall.

Harry was sitting in the Auror library, pouring over a thick tome describing various poisons, when an approaching figure cast a shadow over the table.  He looked up to see the Headmistress of Hogwarts standing next to him.

“Professor McGonagall!” He stood up hurriedly to greet her. “This is a surprise.”

His old Transfiguration teacher gave him a slight smile. “Not an unwelcome one, I hope.  May I join you for a moment?”

“Of course,” he said quickly, clearing a couple books off the nearest chair. “What brings you the Ministry?”

“I had some business with the Minister,” McGonagall said, seating herself. “And I thought I would take the opportunity to respond to your request for information in person.”

“Should I get Tonks?” he asked, half rising from his chair.

“That won’t be necessary, I’m sure she’s very busy and this won’t take long.” She passed a sealed piece of parchment across to him. “I’ve consulted with the other staff who were present to teach Mr. Alberton, and these are the names of every student we can recall seeing him with, even in passing.  We see a great many students, as you know, so it is likely this list is not comprehensive, but we hope it can be of some assistance.”

“Trust me, it will,” Harry said fervently. “We haven’t been getting much of anywhere on our end.  Thanks, Professor, really.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Potter,” she said graciously.  There was a pause during which she glanced around the library. “How are you finding the Auror Office?”

“I like it,” Harry said. “I mean, it’s a little tedious right at the moment, but I enjoy it more often than not.”

“Yes, I recall Ms. Granger was more fond of books than yourself,” Professor McGonagall said with another hint of a smile. “Still it seems you are fitting in rather well.  I must admit, I was still hoping you might reconsider my offer.”

Harry felt his face grow warm, and glanced away. “I really appreciate it, Professor, but I don’t think I’m ready to teach yet.  There’s still a lot I have to learn.”

“I’ll let you in on a little secret, Mr. Potter.” McGonagall leaned towards him conspiratorially. “There’s _always_ more to learn.  That’s what best about being a teacher.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Harry promised.

“Please do,” she said, sitting back. “The offer is always open; Hogwarts would be proud to have you.”

Neither of them said anything after that, but McGonagall made no move to leave.

“Is there anything else I can help with, Professor?” Harry asked after a while.

“No, not precisely.  However, there was something I wished to discuss with you.” Professor McGonagall was uncharacteristically hesitant. “I understand you are currently involved with Ms. Tonks?”

Whatever Harry might have been expecting, this certainly wasn’t it. “Um, yeah I am.”

“I don’t mean to pry, Harry,” she said, and he knew it was serious when she used his first name. “But, as you might imagine, I have always taken a bit of interest in Ms. Tonks.”

“Because of her abilities?” Harry guessed.

“Partially.  Metamorhpmagi are rare; it’s a Transfiguration Professor’s dream to work with one.  But there are other reasons that are slightly more…delicate.”

“Like what?” Harry asked curiously.  Tonks had given him no indication that she and McGonagall had been any closer than teacher and student.

“Since you were raised by Muggles you likely wouldn’t be aware, but Metamorphmagi occupy a particular place in Wizarding society,” McGonagall said. “I believe the proper term is _fetishized_.” She said it with pronounced distaste.

“Oh,” Harry said, catching on. “I wasn’t, but I got that sense from Tonks.”

“Yes, well, you can imagine the appeal for individuals with a certain lack of common decency,” she went on. “Every Metamorphmagi I have seen pass through Hogwarts has suffered varying degrees of humiliation at the hands of their fellow students, particularly if they are women.  Unfortunately, Ms. Tonks was no exception, despite my best efforts.”

“Yeah, she’s told me about some of the things that happened to her,” Harry said.

“I’m sure she has.  I don’t mean to bring this up to make you uncomfortable, Harry, but I think it important you be aware that you’re not seeing just anyone.  Being a Metamorphmagus is an incredible gift, but it has its disadvantages.”

“I appreciate you telling me, Professor,” Harry said politely, reflecting that it seemed to be the week for Tonks’s various parental figures to give him talkings to. “But like I said, we _have_ talked about this quite a bit.  I really care about her, I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.”

“I’m relieved to hear that,” Professor McGonagall said. “I won’t trouble you any further about it.  As you can likely understand, I have become a bit more protective of my students recently.”

“It’s good you’re looking out for us,” Harry said softly. “Although, we’re not your students anymore.”

McGonagall smiled sadly. “Dumbledore once told me something.  He said that even though you leave Hogwarts, you never stop being our students.  Take care of yourself, Mr. Potter.”

She stood, nodding to him and started to walk away.

“Professor!” Harry called as a thought occurred to him.  She paused, turning back. “Just out of curiosity, did you have a chat like this with Tonks too?”

McGonagall didn’t say anything, but Harry swore he saw a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Goodbye, Mr. Potter.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, just a heads up that it might be a little more of a wait before the next chapter. I'm realizing that, as it stands, a couple elements of the story are progressing quicker than I'd like. A few plot points get paid off sooner than I think they should. I might take some time to write out a new chapter to correct this. Or I might not. I'm pretty lazy after all.
> 
> *Update 4/24/19. I've decided to go ahead and make some edits/rewrites/new writing. As part of this, I've removed the sex scene originally featured at the end of this chapter, to be re-added to a later chapter.


	14. Impossible Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very sorry for the delay, but I could tell reading back through my drafts that something was missing from the story. Hopefully it'll be clear once I have the next couple chapters up that something would have been missing without what I've added here. I don't anticipate having to add or rewrite too much else, so uploads should continue more regularly from here on out. I've been blown away by the response to the story thus far, and I hope you continue to enjoy!
> 
> I'll also note that the sex scene at the end up this chapter was originally included in the previous chapter. I removed it because it fit better here, but I apologize in case you originally read through it before I took it out. I promise new and fun smut in chapters to come!

“Faster, Harry!”

Sweat dripped down Harry’s face, stinging his eyes, but he couldn’t spare a hand to clear his vision. “I’m going…as fast…as I can!” he said between brief, panting breaths.

“Not fast enough!” Tonks barked.

If Harry could have glared over at his stern girlfriend, sitting in the corner of the training room, he would have, but the bevy of spells flying at him prevented even a moment of distraction.

Gone were the playful, almost silly dueling exercises that Tonks had once set.  Every day, in addition to his studies, Tonks was putting him through the most intense magical training regimen he could have imagined.  She seemed absolutely determined to find his limits as fast as possible.  When it became clear that no single Auror in the department could consistently best him, she started bringing in two.  And when two wasn’t enough, she brought in three.

Harry’s only saving grace was the that the senior Aurors were too busy to take part in this kind of exercise, which meant he was usually just facing other recruits.  Of course, he had personally trained half the recruits in combat in the D.A., and the rest had survived multiple battles in the war, so they were hardly less formidable.

Today’s opponents were Neville Longbottom, Katie Bell, and a wizard name Allen Tremman he hadn’t met before the war.  He was weaving frantically around them, doing everything he could to keep them all in his line of sight.  This was more than a little challenging, given that they were doing their best to flank him.  Hence Tonks’s admonition to move faster. 

They’d been going at it for the better part of half an hour.  Try as they might, the three had not been able to outmaneuver Harry.  For his part, it took every ounce of skill he had to hold off three talented duelists.

Finally, the physical toll of such a prolonged duel caused Katie to slip up, and Harry was able to immobilize her.  He managed to Stun Allen shortly thereafter when he attempted to lift the curse.  That left just him and Neville.  A year spent fighting the Carrows, followed by Auror training, had turned Neville into one of the Office’s most formidable combatants.  His skill was earned, through hard work and sweat, and of all the recruits, he had the best track record against Harry.

It therefore came as quite a shock when he lowered his wand, signaling his surrender, and the end of the duel.  Harry did likewise, glancing over at Tonks to see if there was some other surprise in store for him.

However, Tonks looked just as taken aback at Neville’s abrupt capitulation.  Arching an eyebrow, she said, “Not in the mood to put up a fight, Neville?”

Neville shrugged, breathing heavily. “What’s the point?  Odds are he’ll win anyway.”

For a moment Tonks looked like she might insist on them finishing the duel, but eventually she nodded and moved to revive Katie and Allen, while Harry sank bonelessly onto a bench.

“I still don’t get _how_ you manage that,” Allen remarked, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head where he’d hit the floor. “You sure you’re not a Seer, the way you seem to know what we’re about to do?”

Harry shook his head wearily. “Got lucky is all.  Katie likes to duck left, especially when she’s surprised.”

Neville and Allen looked at Katie, who frowned. “I thought I didn’t do that anymore.  You yelled at me for a month to get me to stop when you were Captain.”

“Guess you were tired,” Harry said. “You started slipping a few minutes ago.”

“Damn,” she said, still looking peeved.

“I really wish I could find some dueling partners you didn’t train in Quidditch or Defense,” Tonks remarked, looked irritated herself.

“He didn’t train me,” Allen protested.

“No, but you’re holding back because he’s Harry Potter.  You had an opening when he hexed Katie, but you fell back instead.” Tonks sighed. “Although he probably would’ve dodged that one or something too.  At least we got him to sweat this time.”

That elicited a laugh from everyone except Harry, who was too busy sweating for mirth.

As his erstwhile opponents filed out of the training room, Tonks turned back to Harry. “Ready?”

He nodded, suppressing a groan. Tonks’s latest addition to dueling practice, besides extra people, was a post-match quiz.  He was now expected to recall and recite every spell that had been used during the entire duel.  This had been a little simpler when he’d only had a single opponent, but as the duels stretched out in length, it became harder and harder to not only recognize each spell, but recall them as well.

For close to five minutes he did his best to replay the duel in his head and give a thorough accounting of the various spells, jinxes, and hexes they’d used.  When he finished, he sat back, awaiting the inevitable corrections.

“Allen only used two Stunners at the start, not three,” she chimed in immediately. “And the silver spell Neville cast wasn’t a Tickling Charm, it was meant to sedate.  It’s normally used on aggressive species of plants.”

Harry frowned, realizing now that she was correct. “Would that even work on a person?”

“No idea, I’ve never seen anyone try” she said. “Creative though, I’ll have to give Neville that.”

 “We good then?” Harry asked, hauling himself to his feet.  He was oddly looking forward to sitting at a desk for a while and not have spells flung at him.

“Yeah, but don’t forget we’re doing a creature test this afternoon,” Tonks reminded him.

Harry nodded, trying not to look too resentful.  Tonks was testing him on almost a daily basis on everything from curses, to magical traps, to disguises, just as a start.  Today it was creatures.  He reminded himself that this was far more important than a Hogwarts test, and resigned himself to spending the rest of the day reading about various gruesome beast related deaths.

“Is it going to be a practical test?” he asked. “’Cuz I’d rather not have to go to a party with half my hair burnt off.”

Tonks got a hint of that cheeky gleam in her eye that he hadn’t seen in a while. “You know what, I don’t think I’m going to tell you.”

Now Harry finally did allow himself to groan aloud.

 ***

In the end, Tonks was kind enough to make it a quick verbal quiz.  Harry knew this was not because she’d decided to lighten up, but because she was more focused on the evening’s festivities.  The Weird Sisters had followed up their informal invitation that Harry and Tonks attend their holiday party with a much more elaborate, magical one that made quite a bit of noise bouncing around Tonks’s living room.  As did Tonks herself.

The prospect of seeing her favorite wizard band again was the only thing that had really gotten Tonks excited since their run in with Alberton.  And despite being exhausted from studying, Harry wasn’t about to deny her this opportunity.  Plus, the band had told them to bring along any extra guests they wanted, which meant that Ron and Hermione were accompanying them.

“Are you sure it’s alright that we’re coming along?” Hermione asked for about the dozenth time as they approached the palatial mansion in the countryside hosting the party. “We don’t want to intrude.”

“For the last time, they said bring as many people as we’d like,” Harry told her. “If anything they might be put off we didn’t bring _more_ people.”

“Yeah, so stop complaining and hurry it up you two!” Tonks urged.

Ron gave Harry a bemused look that he had trouble reciprocating because Tonks was pulling insistently on Harry’s hand, trying to get him to move faster towards the party.  She wasn’t exactly reserved around Ron and Hermione, but he realized they’d probably never seen her display such enthusiasm before.  Hermione at least stopped worrying aloud as they strode up to the enormous oak doors, decorated with shimmering lights that shifted between red, green, and gold.

Tonks, despite her eagerness, seemed hesitant to be the one to knock. “You do it,” she said to Harry anxiously, both her hands clenched tightly around his arm.

Smiling a bit, Harry raised a hand and knocked sharply.  The door immediately swung open, revealing a massive and brightly decorated foyer that was already crammed with people.  They stepped hesitantly inside, looking around at the masses of excited partygoers, none of whom seemed to notice the new arrivals.

“Shall we try to find someone-?” Harry began, but was quickly preempted by a loud, familiar voice.

“Harry!  Tonks!  Over here!”

Donaghan, the bass player if Harry recalled correctly, waved enthusiastically at them as he squeezed his way out of a group of especially animated American wizards.

“We’re so excited you came!” he said. “We weren’t sure if you’d have time, what with everything going on with that attack and all.  The papers didn’t say how bad it was, are you both okay?”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Tonks said, waving away the reference to Alberton, although Harry detected a bit of strain in her voice. “No way I’d miss this unless I was strapped down in St. Mungo’s!”

Donaghan beamed at her. “We’d’ve happily brought the party to St. Mungo’s if that was the case, but still, better food here.  And you brought some friends too-?”

He stopped abruptly, eyes going wide as he took a proper look at Tonks and Harry’s companions.  Harry grinned.

“This is Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger,” he said, knowing introductions were probably not necessary. “They’re my two oldest friends.”

“We hope you don’t mind us tagging along,” Hermione said somewhat nervously, her concerns apparently rekindled by the look on Donaghan’s face. “Harry and Tonks said it was alright if we came too.”

“Mind?  Of course we don’t mind!” Donaghan managed to choke out. “I just can’t believe the three of you are here.  Now!  At our party!  Gideon’s going to flip.  Matter of fact, come with me, we’ll go see everyone else.”

He motioned them deeper into the party, past gaggles of witches, wizards, and even a few goblins, all chatting and drinking.  Hermione and even Ron looked taken aback at the enthusiasm of their welcome.

“The rest of the band’s getting set up,” Donaghan explained. “We were going to do a small set, just to kick things off, you know.  But they’ll want to get to meet you first!”

People’s heads turned as they passed, but Donaghan seemed to know just how to maneuver even such tight quarters so that no one got more than just a passing glance.  Harry knew that later, once they actually started mingling, they wouldn’t be able to avoid being recognized, but for the moment they managed to get through the party fairly quickly.  The only hang up was when they encountered a suit of armor blocking a hallway.  It was walking back and forth, clutching a tray and banging off each wall in turn.  The drinks it had been carrying were long since fallen and crushed to bits under its heavy metal feet.

“Oh for Merlin’s sake!” Donaghan exclaimed when he saw the suit.  He drew out his wand and pointed it at the befuddled armor, but nothing happened. He sighed and said to them, “They keep doing this and none of us can figure out why.”

“It looks like the animating spell is a bit off,” Hermione said. “Do you mind if I try?”

“By all means,” Donaghan replied, looking gratified.

Hermione took out her wand and waved at the suit of armor, muttering a couple incantations under her breath.  At once, it stopped bouncing off the walls and stood facing them.

“How did you do that?” Donaghan gaped at the now quite steady suit. “We’ve been trying to get them to behave for hours now with nothing to show for it.”

“Don’t worry, mate,” Ron reassured him, “she makes us all look like we’ve got no idea what we’re doing.”

Hermione flushed pink. “It wasn’t that hard.  Whoever first set the enchantment didn’t use the right wand motions.”

“That’ll be Gideon,” Donaghan grumbled. “This was his idea to begin with.”

“Why use suits of armor as servers in the first place?” Tonks asked curiously as Donaghan repaired the broken glasses and set the suit on its way.

“This was the first time we tried,” the band member explained as they resumed their trek through the house. “We used to just use house elves.  But after Gideon read your op ed in the _Prophet_ a couple months ago,” he nodded at Hermione, “he convinced us to stop.  We thought maybe the armor would be fun.  If we’d known…”

Hermione looked shocked. “Wait, you said Gideon ready my opinion piece?  I mean, actually read it?”

“Oh yeah,” Donaghan said with a laugh. “Won’t shut up about it to be honest.  You’ll see, we might have to play without bagpipes tonight.”

Ron nudged a still astonished Hermione playfully. “See, told you people would start paying attention.”

She continued to look at a loss for words as they arrived at what Harry presumed was the ballroom.  The ordinary furnishings had been cleared from the room, and a small stage had been set up at one end, where the rest of the band was busy getting ready and testing out their instruments.  The moment Harry and the rest came through the door however, they immediately dropped what they were doing and converged on the new arrivals.  Their greeting was slightly less unhinged than when they’d first met Harry and Tonks, but only by a little, especially once they saw Ron and Hermione.

Harry couldn’t help smiling at the looks on his two best friends’ faces, especially Hermione’s.  Like Harry, they’d been awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, featured on Chocolate Frog cards, and given a host of other honorifics after the war.  However, unlike him, they were not yet used to the sort of attention that fame and notoriety brought.  Ron had gotten a bit more accustomed to this in the past year and a half, but Hermione, who had spent that time at Hogwarts, was still rather shocked when people recognized her.

As promised, Gideon the bagpipe player, immediately latched onto Hermione and began gushing about the piece she’d written for the _Prophet._   Despite her shock, she quickly appeared to open up, and was soon deeply immersed in a conversation about elf and Muggleborn rights with Gideon and Kirley, the guitar player.

Meanwhile, Tonks had resumed a previous discussion about prior shows with the lead singer, Myron, and Ron was being introduced to Orsino the drummer and Herman the lutist.

“Sorry,” Harry said to the remaining band members. “Didn’t mean to derail you there.”

Donaghan waved off his apology. “We’re a rock band, we’re not meant to start on time.  Besides, it’ll just be a quick set.”

“We really appreciate you inviting us,” Harry said again.

“Are you kidding?” Donaghan responded, “We should be thanking you.  Do you have any idea how much more awesome parties are with Harry Potter and his friends?”

This sort of remark might have made Harry feel awkward in a different setting, but he already felt comfortable enough around the band to know it was mostly a joke.  And Donaghan wasn’t wrong at all.  The band eventually forced themselves to finish setting up to play, and when they opened the doors to the rest of the party goers, the response was doubly excited when the attendees saw Harry, Tonks, Ron, and Hermione waiting near the stage.

By their request, the band did not draw attention to the four of them, but once the Sisters had finished playing an abbreviated concert full of Christmas songs to uproarious applause, the crowd descended on Harry and his friends with equal fervor.  From there, the party broke up into smaller groups of revelers, usually centered around one of the band members, or a famous guest.  Gideon had pulled Hermione aside to continue their discussion, and a small but intensely interested cluster of people soon formed around them.

By far, however, the largest group was gathered around Ron, who had slid into storytelling mode with an ease that still astonished Harry.  He and Tonks drifted towards the edge of a circl of onlookers that were hanging raptly onto Ron’s every word.  Ron, as was his custom of late, was regaling the onlookers with a story of his, Harry, and Hermione’s adventures; one of the originals in fact.

“…flying keys!  Must’ve been hundreds of the things!  They were hovering around, and Hermione and I were trying to figure out which one was the one we needed, but Harry just zooms right in on it.  Spots it like it was nothing!  And so we all get on these old brooms, right, had to be half a century old!  I don’t know how they even flew!  Harry has us all work to corner the thing, he’s got me up here, Hermione right there.”

He was using his hands to illustrate the scene while his audience looked on rapturously. “And he flies right at it, and the key darts away like this!  And I’m sure he’s gonna miss it, but he swerves just at the last second and smashes it against the wall!”

A collective sigh of relief went up from those listening, as if they were watching it all happen in real time.  Ron gave them the perfect amount of time to recover before moving the narrative into the giant chess game.  He took them through every move and detail of the game, right up through being knocked out to pave the way for Harry to finish it off.  Then, to Harry’s surprise, he transitioned seamlessly into the rest of the story, including a remarkably thorough recounting of Snape’s puzzle, and Harry’s encounter with Quirrell.

Not needing Ron’s help to remember what followed, Harry let his attention wander to the assembled listeners.  He’d never been particularly inclined to talk about his adventures to anyone but close friends and was somewhat fascinated by the reactions of strangers.  They leaned in when Ron’s voice went quiet or gasped at some particularly surprising point in the story.

There was an especially loud noise of shock when Ron got to the point where Quirrell revealed Voldemort’s face on the back of his head.  One man actually sat down, looking faint.  Suppressing a chuckle, Harry turned to Tonks, thinking she might be similarly amused by this sort of reaction.

To his surprise, however, she looked almost as horrified as the other onlookers, a sickened expression on her face.  Harry’s grin disappeared as he realized that he’d never told her about the details of his first year at Hogwarts.  She knew about the Chamber of Secrets and the basilisk, that wasn’t a big secret anyway, the events of the maze, and quite a bit about the war.  But the fight for the Philosopher’s Stone often got overshadowed in comparison to everything else.

When Ron finished recounting how Harry had outwitted Voldemort and Quirrell, saved the Stone from them and survived, several people clapped and glanced over at Harry.  Tonks was one of them, but her expression was not the admiring, semi-idolizing looks that others were giving him.  She continued to gaze at him with wide-eyed, undisguised concern.

“You never told me about all of that,” she said softly to him, as Ron’s crowd started to disperse a bit.

“He’s making it sound more dramatic than it was,” Harry told her in an undertone, feeling self-conscious. “I mean, Voldemort didn’t even have a wand then.  It was hardly the scariest time I dealt with him.”

She shook her head slowly, apparently not comforted. “D’you know how many people never got away from him once?  Your parents and the Longbottoms were legends for surviving him as many times as they did, and a couple of those barely even counted.  Frank and Alice once Apparated out of a battlefield right as he came in, just by coincidence, and people in the Office still talk about it like it’s a miracle.  You went toe to toe with him at _eleven_ and walked away.” She looked away, as if scared she might hurt her eyes if she stared at him too long.

As uncomfortable as getting this kind of praise was from strangers, it was somehow even worse from a person he loved.  He felt the unaccountable need to justify his survival. “I had my mother’s protection, you know, otherwise it wouldn’t have been any different.”

Tonks frowned and turned back to him. “Of course, I know that’s what helped,” she said. “I just mean, do you know how incredible it is that you’re even alive today?”

“Probably better than anyone,” he said fervently. “Ginny always said me joining the Aurors felt like me daring the universe to punish me.”

He meant it as a joke, but Tonks didn’t laugh.  She continued looking at him for several moments, and he was unable to interpret the expression on her face.  Eventually she glanced around and seemed to recall that they weren’t alone.

“Sorry,” she said with a valiant attempt at her normal smile. “We should get back to the party, enjoy ourselves.”

Harry nodded, wondering what she was thinking, but knowing it probably wasn’t the right time to ask.  He attempted to put it out of his mind and appreciate the rest of the evening, but he couldn’t help noticing the fragility of Tonks’s smiles and laughs, or the fact that she stayed practically glued to his side from then on out.

They left well past midnight, despite having to work the next day, with Ron and Hermione in tow.  Ron had evidently quite enjoyed recounting tales of their exploits to thrilled fans, and Hermione was ecstatic that some of her campaigning was beginning to take hold.  Luckily neither of them seemed to notice anything out of sorts about Harry and Tonks when they bid them goodnight and Disapparated back home.

Harry accompanied Tonks back to her apartment, not having stayed at his own loft in weeks now.  When they arrived, he sank into an armchair, exhausted, but his brain too active to sleep.  Tonks wandered into the pantry for a bedtime snack and sat at the counter, chewing absently on a piece of toast with jam.  She was staring at the wall near Harry, obviously lost in thought.

He debated asking her what was wrong, trying to get at some of the distance he’d been sensing the last week and a half.  But before he could make up his mind on how to approach the subject, Tonks straightened and said briskly. “I’m pretty shot.  Think I’ll go to bed now.  You coming?”

“Oh, um, sure,” Harry said, despite knowing he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep just yet.  And sure enough, he laid in bed long after Tonks had drifted off, wondering what was going on with them.

 ***

Normal working hours no longer seemed to apply to Harry on this new training regimen.  He studied until Tonks came by and told him to stop, which was usually past six.  So when she turned up at his little desk in the Auror library on the second Friday of this routine, he was especially excited to get home and rest his brain for a few days.

He was to be severely disappointed.

Tonks was looking about as tired as he felt, and she hadn’t done much with her hair the last few days. “Antidotes test now,” she said without preamble.

He initially thought he must have misheard her.  Surely she wasn’t so crazy as to suggest a test now, after he’d spent the entire week working harder than he ever had in his life.

“Wait, are you serious?” Harry said incredulously. “It’s seven.  On a Friday.”

“Poisons don’t really care about the day of the week,” she admonished. “You’ve always gotta be ready.”

“Yeah, constant vigilance, I know,” Harry said, trying not to sound too snarky. “I get it, I really do, Tonks, but I’m honestly completely beat.  Can’t we do this another time?  I haven’t even been studying poisons and antidotes this week, you were having me look at curses.”

Tonks nodded sympathetically, but didn’t give any ground. “I know, that’s why we’re doing it today.  You have to be able to switch gears, adapt.  Plus, Hermione told me you never properly learned antidote theory at Hogwarts.  I figure you need a little extra push.”

Harry sighed in resignation, resolving to have a talk with Hermione about the kinds of things she was sharing with Tonks. “Alright, fine, can I least grab a couple books?”

Tonks allowed him to select two volumes on antidotes, venoms, and poisons before leading him out of the library, and into the Auror’s potions lab.  Unlike the dungeons at Hogwarts, it was a well-lit space, stocked with every potion ingredient that one could imagine.  Harry had not spent as much time in here as he knew he should have, the lingering bad memories of Snape’s classes preventing him from enjoying the subject.  At this time of evening, they at least had the room completely to themselves.

“Where’s the poison then?” Harry asked, depositing his books next to a cauldron.

Tonks took a deep breath, and he got the strange sense that she was preparing herself for something. “That’s part of the test actually.  You’ve already taken it.”

Harry blinked. “Come again?”

Tonks looked fairly miserable. “I slipped it to you during lunch.  I reckon you’ve got about an hour before you start feeling the effects.”

Harry stared at his girlfriend in blank shock. “Wait, you…poisoned me?”

She nodded.

“What the fuck?!” he said, sudden adrenaline wiping away his fatigue. “Do I least get to know what kind of poison it was?”

She shook her head. “You have to figure it out yourself.”

Harry kept expecting her to break out laughing and tell him this was all just an elaborate prank, but she continued looking at him with that same, serious, unhappy expression.  Sparing her one last incredulous look, Harry turned to his books, rustling somewhat frantically through them.

She was absolutely right, he’d never properly learned the process behind creating antidotes in Slughorn’s class.  He’d picked up a little more of it since joining the Aurors, but he was still far from confident in his ability to concoct a decent antidote to a random poison in just an hour.  Panic started settling over him when he ran across a passage in one of the books saying that an hour was the bare minimum it took to brew most antidotes.

He frowned at that description, something about it sticking in his brain.  He tried to focus through the solidifying haze of stress and anxiety.

It was the timing, he eventually realized.  Tonks had obviously planned this whole thing, from poisoning him at lunch, to collecting him with barely an hour to spare.  That meant that she must have dosed him with something that he’d be able to cure in the hour, if he kept his head and didn’t make any mistakes.  That was, unless she’d given him something that was more complex.  But then, what would be the point of setting a test he couldn’t pass?

He spared a glance over at her, but her stony expression gave nothing away.  He decided he had no choice but to assume this was a task he could complete in the time allotted.

The next hour was one of the fastest that Harry could recall.  He was luckily able to identify the poison relatively quickly.  It was similar to the Draught of Living Death, although more dangerous.  The poison would first put the person who ingested it into a deep sleep, followed shortly by a coma like state from which it was almost impossible to wake, and eventually death.

Fortunately, the antidote was fairly straightforward, as such things went.  This didn’t stop Harry from sweating profusely and looking at his watch every few minutes.  It seemed that the hands were moving twice their normal speed, and he had to work feverishly to get the potion brewed in enough time.  He was fairly confident that Tonks would just let him die if he didn’t make the antidote in time, but then again, he wasn’t sure how she’d react to his failure if he did.  More than the effects of an unpleasant poison, he’d much rather avoid a lecture about taking his studies seriously.

However, once he was about three quarters done with the antidote, and finally feeling relatively confident in his ability to finish on time, Tonks threw another curveball at him.  He was in the middle of adding a sliver of unicorn horn to the potion, being careful to stir slowly, five time clockwise, when she approached him from the side.

“Harry,” she said, clearly trying to get his attention.

“Not really a good time, Tonks,” he said, not looking up from the potion, which had just turned a deep mauve, the precise color he was hoping for.

“I know,” she said. “That’s kind of the point.”

Something in her voice alerted him to the seriousness of the situation, and he looked over to see her swaying on the spot.  Alarmed, he reached out to steady her, but she waved away his hands.

“Tonks, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“I dosed myself too,” she said, her eyes heavy. “A few minutes before you.”

“What, why would you do that?!” he said, a fresh surge of panic coursing through him.

“Part of the test,” she mumbled, steadying herself on a nearby table. “Here, you’ll need this.” She held out a hand with a small vial of clear, light blue liquid.

“What’s this?” he asked, taking the vial.

“Antidote,” she said. “’Nough for one.”

And with that, the poison took hold, and she collapsed.  Harry managed to catch her before she hit the ground, and lowered her gently the rest of the way.  He looked between her and the vial, frantically trying to figure out what was going on.  The creeping fog that signaled the onset of his own dose of poison wasn’t helping.

She’d given him just enough of the antidote for one person.  His first instinct was to give it to her, his own life be damned, but he forced himself to slow down and think rationally, the way she’d want him to.  This was a test; she was trying to teach him something.  He just had to figure out what.

Priorities; that’s what she was trying to get him to think about.  He could give her the antidote, but then he’d succumb to the poison.  It lingered in the system for about an hour after taking the cure, meaning Tonks wouldn’t be in a fit state to finish Harry’s partially brewed antidote until it was too late to help him.  The only logical choice was to take the antidote himself, and finish brewing another serving of it for Tonks.  He was already close to done, it wouldn’t take that long.

Harry scowled as he realized the point she was trying to make.  He had to leave her on the floor, incapacitated, in order to help them both.  For a moment he debated just giving her the antidote anyway, out of pique.  He knew she probably had some contingency plan in case he did just that.  Likely another Auror waiting outside with more of the antidote.  She wasn’t going to genuinely risk getting them both killed after all.

Eventually he decided to play along with her little game, angry as he was with it.  He opened the little vial and quaffed it in one.  He still felt foggy, and knew that wouldn’t fade for a bit, but he wouldn’t collapse the way Tonks had.  Standing back up, he returned to the potion, doing his best not to glance at the prone form of his girlfriend on the floor.

It only took about ten minutes to finish the antidote.  He double checked each step, and the end result was the exact same shade of pale blue as the vial Tonks had given him.  Kneeling down, he parted Tonks lips, and tipped a ladleful of the antidote into her mouth.

He didn’t have to wait long for it to take effect.  Her eyes flickered almost at once, and she looked up groggily at him.

“Well done,” she slurred with a smile.

Harry gave a sigh of relief.  Despite having been relatively confident, he’d been worried that he’d somehow messed up the potion, and it wouldn’t have any effect.

“How are you feeling?” Harry asked.

“’M fine,” she said blinking her eyes. “Takes a bit to wear off.  Mind helping me up?”

Harry helped her up into a sitting position and then, with an arm around her waist, pulled her to her feet.  She swayed heavily, and he was forced to bear most of her weight.  Luckily, she’d adopted a more slender form before passing out, perhaps in expectation of this.

The moment he opened the door and helped Tonks out into the main part of the Offices, Kingsley strode up to them, carrying a large flask.

“I was just about to check on you two,” he said, with a small, comforting smile. “How did it go?”

“Just fine,” Tonks said, sounding stronger already. “Passed with flying colors.”

Harry frowned, feeling more than a little put out by the whole experience, but thinking now wasn’t the moment to bring that up.

“Is there somewhere Tonks can lay down for a minute?” Harry asked, still holding her up. “I think I might’ve been a bit slow getting her the antidote.”

“There’s a couch in my office,” Kingsley offered. “It’s late enough, no one should bother you.”

“Thanks,” Harry said, supporting Tonks down the rows of cubicles.  Kingsley was the only member of the Auror Office to have his own private work space, and although Harry generally liked the bustle around his desk, he was grateful in this moment for someplace out of view.

Once inside, he cleared off a couple stacks of parchment from the otherwise cushy sofa, and helped Tonks lay down.

“Thanks for that,” she said with a relieved groan, resting her head against the arm of the sofa and closing her eyes. “Not my favorite poison, as these things go.”

Harry found himself struggling to come up with a response and settled for nodding tersely as he pulled up a chair next to her.  Tonks opened her eyes long enough to have a look at his disgruntled expression.

“Alright, Harry, out with it,” she said. “What’s on your mind?”

Harry’s temper flared, and he struggled to keep himself calm, knowing that Tonks was not at her strongest.  Of course, that was technically her own fault.

“What’s on my mind?” he said. “Why don’t we start with whatever just happened.  Honestly, Tonks, what the bloody hell was that?”

“Poisons test,” she said casually, although there was a little brittleness to her tone. “Why, what’d it look like to you?”

“Like some kind of awful fucking prank,” he bit out, trying to keep his voice down. “I don’t seem to recall tests looking like that when I was in school.”

“Well you’re not in school anymore,” she snapped, now looking irate as well. “We do things a bit differently ‘round here, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“So you poison all your recruits?” Harry shot back.

“All the ones who make it as far as you have,” she said bluntly. “Standard part of training at this stage.”

“Is it a ‘standard part of training’ to poison their loved ones as well?” he asked heatedly.

Tonks managed to hold his gaze for a moment before looking away. “No, that one’s new,” she admitted softly after a while.

“Seriously, Tonks, _why_ in Merlin’s name did you do that?” Harry lowered his tone as well, but some of the fire he was feeling still leaked into his words. “Was it just to make a point?”

“I had to know how you’d react,” Tonks said, still not looking at him. “Even though we’ve talked about it, I wasn’t sure if you’d stay rational with me in danger.”

Harry snorted. “Well guess what, I might still not.  You’re really clever, Tonks, but this wasn’t exactly like real life.  I figured out pretty fast what was going on, and I knew what you were trying to get me to do.  I can’t say that’s how this would have gone down if it were real life.”

Tonks sighed in a resigned sort of way. “Best I could come up with.  Didn’t want either of us actually getting hurt again.”

Harry regarded her shrewdly. “All this stuff you’ve been doing lately, the dueling, the tests…How much of this is standard training, and how much of it is you adding stuff in?”

She finally looked back at him. “There’s not a ton of standard training, Harry.  A lot of what we do is individualized.  We try to meet recruits where they’re at; give them what they need.”

He regarded her steadily. “That’s not an answer.”

“It’s…mostly standard,” she said. “The studying, the tests, that’s how we typically prepare recruits at the end of their training.”

“And the rest?” he pressed.

Tonks dropped her gaze again. “The rest is just stuff I’ve come up with.”

“What for?” he asked, now genuinely curious. “D’you think I’m not up to snuff, that I don’t have what it takes?”

“No, of course not!” she insisted, head snapping back up, eyes wide. “You’re brilliant, Harry, honestly!  I’ve always felt you’ve got everything it takes to be a fantastic Auror.”

He guessed there was some kind of caveat coming. “But…?”

“There’s no ‘but,’” she said. “It’s just…complicated is all.  You and me being together, it’s…I don’t know, it’s made this all a bit harder.”

Harry sighed, considering his words very carefully. “Look, I get what you’re trying to do,” he said. “And honestly a lot of it makes sense.  You’ve got me out in the field with you, working on cases, I understand why I should be on top of my game.  And I get how us being in a relationship makes that a bit more complicated.  I agreed to a lot of this, but you’ve gotta admit it’s getting a bit out of hand.  I mean, you literally poisoned yourself today.”

Tonks sagged back on the couch, looking slightly defeated. “Yeah, I suppose that was a bit much.”

“You think?” Harry said with a rueful shake of his head. “How’d you even get Kingsley to agree to that?”

She shrugged. “He seems to trust my judgement.  And it was the kind of thing Mad Eye might’ve done.”

“You know I respected the hell out of Moody,” Harry said delicately. “He was an incredible Auror.  But do you think, just maybe, we shouldn’t use him as our standard of comparison?”

She gave a slightly reluctant smile. “Alright, I see what you mean, I’ll ease off a bit.” She grew serious again. “But I’m not going to stop the training or the tests.  That’s important stuff, and I still think you need to know it.  Both our lives are on the line when we’re out there.”

“I agree,” he said gravely. “I just want to make sure you trust me that I’ll try to make the right calls in the moment.  I seem to recall someone telling me this whole thing was a two-way street.”

He tried to make a joke of it, but Tonks didn’t smile. “It’s not you I don’t trust, Harry,” she said quietly.

“Who, you then?” he said with a frown, but she didn’t respond. “Come on Tonks, what’s there not to trust?”

To his surprise, she scowled. “You really don’t get how hard it is being with someone like you, do you?”

The words felt like a slap in the face, and Harry struggled not to let the mix of anger, shame, and hurt that they inspired show. “I know I’m not the easiest bloke in the world,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady, “but I try, and you said you knew what you were getting into at the start.”

Tonks’s scowl immediately melted into regret. “No, I didn’t mean like that at all.  It’s not about _you_ really.” She sighed in frustration. “I’m sorry I said it like that.  I meant it’s hard for _me_.  I thought I knew what you’d been through, I thought I was prepared.  I figured it was a lot like being an Auror, that we’d have that in common.  But the longer we’re together, the more I find out about the kinds of things you’ve survived.  You’ve been through stuff that would destroy most people and yet here you are, still going at it.”

Harry frowned in confusion. “What’s that got to do with all these tests or not trusting yourself?”

She looked at him with sparkling eyes. “I’m scared, Harry.” The admission seemed to cost her something. “I’m afraid of something happening to you.  And not like normal.  I keep thinking about everything you’ve survived and worrying about the next thing around the corner.”

“I doubt the next thing will be worse than Voldemort,” Harry pointed out.

“Probably not, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be ready for it,” she said. “If we let our guard down, it might not matter how much easier it is.  A two-bit thug can still take us out if we aren’t careful.  And it doesn’t help that you look at me like you’d happily take a fall off a building just to squash a spider for me.”

Harry shifted, feeling a strange mixture of embarrassment and flattery. “Well…depends how tall the building is I suppose.”

Tonks let out an unwilling chuckle. “And the thing is, I’d do the same for you.  I didn’t even think about it when we were in that alley.  When I saw him shoot that curse at you, I just leapt.  I can’t get over how irrational that was.”

“You’ve got more experience in relationships than I do,” Harry observed, “but I reckon things aren’t rational very often.  I would have rather taken that curse than you, but I’m glad you care about me enough to want to protect me.”

“More than anyone else I’ve been with,” Tonks remarked. “I wouldn’t have taken a Jelly Legs Jinx for most of my exes.”

“Knowing you, a Jelly Legs Jinx might well be fatal,” Harry quipped, drawing another reluctant giggle from her.  He smiled, and they lapsed into a more comfortable silence than they’d shared in some time.  Eventually, she pushed herself to a sitting position.

“Why don’t we head home?” she suggested, as Harry helped her to her feet.  She was a great deal steadier than earlier.

“You sure you don’t want to rest a bit longer?” he asked solicitously.

“It’s past nine on a Friday, all I really want is to be somewhere else,” she said fervently. “Let’s just get out of here as fast as possible.  If you see Kingsley, Smith, or anyone else even vaguely official looking, just Stun them and run.”

“I’m right behind you,” Harry said with a grin.

Luckily, they reached the Atrium without having to Stun anyone, and a few minutes later they were walking up the hallway to Tonks’s apartment.  Harry expected her to sink immediately onto the sofa or bed to continue recuperating.  He was therefore entirely unprepared for her to immediately rip her shirt off and attack him the moment they closed the door.

“Tonks, what-?” His question was lost as she sealed her mouth onto his while also frantically tearing at his clothes.  He couldn’t shake his surprise; they hadn’t been having nearly as much sex lately as before the run in with Alberton.

“Harry,” she said breathlessly while undoing buttons on his shirt, “between digging through Muggle employment records till my eyes hurt, poisoning myself _and_ you, and making my boyfriend feel like he’s hard to be with, I had a pretty awful day.

“So,” she continued, pushing his shirt off his shoulders, and getting to work on his pants. “I want you to fuck me hard enough that I don’t remember my name, let alone this disaster of a week.  That is, if you’re up for it?” She gave him a challenging look.

“Oh, I’m up for it,” Harry said, rapidly recovering from his surprise and now appreciating the way Tonks’s frantic movements made her breasts sway.

“Good,” she said happily and, having finished undoing his pants, sank to her knees, taking his jeans and boxers down with her, while immediately shoving half his cock down her throat. 

Sometimes when Tonks went down on him, she did so with a certain playful enjoyment, clearly relishing the effect she had on him.  Sometimes she’d draw it out, teasing him until he could barely take it anymore.  This was not one of those times.  She was clearly only concerned with making sure he was hard enough to serve her purposes.

Not that Harry couldn’t still enjoy himself.  In fact he enjoyed himself quite a bit and she loudly and messily sucked him until she was satisfied with his rigidity, at which point she jumped back up and kissed him again.

“Need…your pants…off too,” Harry sad in between kisses.

“Right, good point.” She pulled back enough to shuck off her own jeans, allowing him to step out of his.  Harry gave her just enough time to extract her ankle from the leg of her pants before he practically tackled her. 

She let out a squeak of surprise as he lifted her into the air, crushing her body against his.  He took a great deal of enjoyment from that; he hardly ever got to do the surprising, and he started carrying her to the bedroom.  Tonks had the presence of mind not to kiss him while he was holding her, but that didn’t stop her kissing his neck, sending dangerous little shivers up his spine.

They didn’t make it all the way to the bedroom.  Harry got too impatient about halfway there; a combination of feeling her nipples rubbing against his chest, and her continuous nibbling on his ear.  Turning, he deposited her on the small dining room table that she never seemed to use, which was quite conveniently about waist high to Harry.

Tonks caught on to his intentions right away and laid back on the table, spreading her legs wide for him.  He waisted no time lining himself up and burying himself insider her.  She moaned unabashedly as he grabbed her waist and started pummeling her.  Her pussy clung to him with each thrust, tight wetness enveloping him as if she were made for his cock.

“That’s it, Harry!” she said, looking up at him. “Fuck me as hard as you can!”

He wasn’t about to disappoint, and he tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her hips to meet him.  The sound of slapping flesh echoed around her little flat, mixed with Tonks’s cries of excitement and Harry’s groans of pleasure.

Tonks’s hands had gone to her tits, twisting and pulling at her nipples.  Feeling left out, Harry reached up and she happily let him take over kneading and stroking the soft orbs.  He found that by holding on to her breasts, he was able to replicate the leverage of using her hips.  He had to squeeze her breasts even tighter, but she didn’t seem to mind.

Her first orgasm was explosive and sudden.  Her head fell back onto the table as her legs squeezed Harry’s waist.  He stopped moving, allowing her to ride out the waves of pleasure until her body relaxed.  Harry admired the pleasant flush that had crept up her cheeks, and the way her nipples hardened under his hands.

“Not a bad start,” Tonks said breathlessly. “What’s next?”

Harry grinned and picked her up again, keeping himself inside her.  She clung to him, writhing much less this time as he took her carefully into the bedroom.  He set her gently on the bed, still fully sheathed in her pussy.

Once they were positioned securely on the bed, she dragged his head down to kiss him deeply.  Not breaking away for a second, Harry started moving again.  He went slower this time, the initial frantic need having been slightly sated.  As he thrust leisurely in and out of her, savoring each delicious inch of her inner walls, he continued to kiss her lips, cheek, neck, and the tops of her breasts.

“I love how your cock feels inside me!” Tonks hissed. “You make me feel so fucking good!”

This drove him to fuck her harder, grinding his body across hers as he held her close.  He didn’t go fast, but each time he pulled his cock out of her pussy, he slammed it back in with as much force as he could.  It was a technique she had taught him, and one that made her particularly vocal.

She didn’t come as violently the second time, but the little tremors that spun through her body as she clung to Harry were somehow even sexier.  He watched her face rapturously, savoring the pleasure he was able to bring her.

She didn’t say anything at first when her orgasm subsided, but Harry already had his next move planned out.  He drew out of her slowly, causing her to make a noise of disappointment.  He would have loved to continue fucking her, but he could feel his self-control slipping, and if he was to accomplish the mission she’d set for him, he needed to take a breather.

So he kissed his way down her body, bathing her breasts with his tongue before laying feathery pecks along her stomach, until he was nestled between her thighs.

She was practically dripping from two orgasms, and he savored her taste as he set to work massaging her pussy with his tongue.  He set about it gradually, not trying to get her off fast, but to draw out every moment of pleasure while he recovered.

“You’re so good with your tongue,” Tonks cooed above him, running her hands through his hair affectionately.

Harry took his time and gave her another small orgasm, by which point he was feeling less ready to go off at a moment’s notice.  However he wasn’t satisfied with just one, so as she was coming, he kept his tongue pressed flat against her clit, the way he knew she liked.  As she started to come down a bit, he slipped two fingers quite easily into her slick pussy.

She gasped at the sudden intrusion, and her hands tightened on Harry’s head.  He’d become quite good at dual stimulation and knew exactly the rhythm that would build her quickly to an explosive orgasm.  This time when she came it was loudly, with quite a bit of writhing and clutching at the bedsheets.

That still wasn’t good enough for Harry, and he kept going, tongue lapping at her clit while he stimulated her inner walls with his fingers.

“I know what you’re up to” Tonks panted. “And you’d better not fucking stop!”

He wasn’t about to, and he was rewarded a few minutes later when she clenched around his fingers and, practically screaming, sprayed her orgasm across his face again.  Only then did he stop, looking up at her with a proud smirk.  He’d only been able to get her to do that once since the first time, and he loved it each time.

“Wipe that grin off your face,” Tonks said playfully. “You’re not done yet.”

“That mean you’re ready for more?” he challenged her.

By way of answer she turned so that she was on all fours with her arse facing him. “What d’you think?” she said, arching an eyebrow at him over her shoulder.

She knew exactly what she was doing, he’d give her that.  This had remained his favorite position, and she always fell back on it when she wanted to get him particularly worked up.  He moved up behind her and easily slid back inside her.

Despite his best efforts to restrain himself, he was soon pummeling her furiously, all vestiges of control lost in the heat of the moment.  He was sure his hands would leave bruises on her hips from how tightly he held onto her as he slammed himself over and over into her.

“Need something else to hold on to?” she asked between moans, and he was surprised to see her hair (deep green today) lengthen to just past her shoulders.

“You serious?” he asked.

“Just pull my fucking hair!” she demanded.

Without thinking, Harry did as she asked, grabbing a handful of her newly grown hair and pulling back.

“Harder!”

He gave a sharp tug, yanking her head back towards him so that she was almost looking at the ceiling.

“Yes, just like that!” she cried in ecstasy.

He held on to her as he fucked her as hard as he possibly could.  The feeling of having her hair pulled seemed to drive her even crazier, and it was hardly another minute before she clamped around him again.  She probably would have fallen to the bed if he hadn’t been holding her head back.

He relinquished his grip on her hair as her orgasm passed, letting her sink onto the bed and pulling out so he could reposition himself.  She let him roll her onto her side and push one of her legs up to her chest while he straddled the other.

“Not done with yet then?” she said tiredly as he entered her again.

“Not by a long shot,” he said, moving slowly while he got used to the new angle.

“Good,” she said, resting her head against the bed as he resumed fucking her.  In this position, Harry had access to all of her; he could grab her arse, fondle her breasts, and, with only a little difficulty, bend down to kiss her.

Tonks wasn’t moaning as loudly anymore, but the rapturous look on her face gave ample testament to her enjoyment.  Still, Harry wasn’t sure he had it in him to make her cum again.  He really wanted to wring at least one more orgasm out of her though, and he placed his hand on her stomach, allowing his thumb to brush against her clit while he pounded her.

Her eyes widened in surprise at the contact, and she clutched at his other hand, which was gripping her arse tightly.

“Keep going, Harry,” she moaned. “You’re going to make me come again.”

Sweat dripping down his chest, and feeling like his heart might explode, he did his best to oblige.  It was a monumental effort not to come each time he bottomed out inside her, but he wanted to make this as intense an experience for her as possible.  At last, he was successful.

Her final orgasm of the night was a quiet one, but it looked all the more pleasurable for it.  Her hand squeezed his tightly, and her eyes rolled back.

By a miracle, Harry managed to stave off his own end; he wanted one last position.

Tonks seemed to have temporarily lost the ability to speak as he turned her onto her back, and pushed her legs until she was bent almost double.  She had repeatedly impressed him with her flexibility in their time together, and he decided to take full advantage of it, sinking back into her.

“So deep!” she mumbled as he picked back up his rhythm, moving frantically to his own orgasm. “Come inside me, Harry!  I want you to fill me up, I want to feel it!”

He moved with no thought in his head other than to do what she asked.  The exertions of the last half an hour made his body feel taught, like every muscle was about to snap.  He drove himself into her one more time until the pleasure overloaded his senses, and he exploded deep insider her.

Despite it being _his_ orgasm, Tonks moaned loudly as she felt him pulsing inside of her, filling her with his cum.

He had no idea how long he came, but it felt like a small eternity.  When he came back to his senses, he realized that he’d collapsed on top of Tonks, an undoubtedly uncomfortable position given how he’d posed her legs.  Reluctantly he pulled out of her and rolled to the side.  Tonks let her legs fall to the bed with a thump, breathing almost as heavily as him.

Neither of them spoke for a long time, basking in the afterglow.

“So, still remember your name?” Harry asked eventually.

Tonks looked at him with a wicked smile. “What would you do if I said I still did?”

“Probably hand you your wand,” he quipped. “I don’t think I have anything else in me.”

She laughed, turning to drape an arm over his chest. “Well luckily for you, that was more than enough to cheer me up.”

“Glad to be of service,” he said, kissing the top of her head.


	15. The Test

November faded into December with the arrival of the first snows.  Harry still wasn’t used to the grey slush that was London snow, having spent so many years looking out across the pristine white blanket that lay over the Hogwarts grounds.  Not that he spent very much time looking out of windows these days.

Most days were spent studying harder than he ever had in his life.  The pressure was greater too, knowing that what he learned could be the difference between life and death, and not just his own.  Fortunately, it was also much more engaging than, say, History of Magic had ever been, especially once Tonks stopped poisoning herself as part of the tests.

Plus, she had developed a very enjoyable method of motivating him.  Knowing that she was putting Harry through a mental ringer, she devised rather creative ways to take his mind off things occasionally.

The first such distraction arrived the Monday morning after the poisons test as he sat in front of an absurdly large book on magical traps.  He was struggling to get his eyes to focus this early in the week, when a purple Ministry memo flew threw the door and landed in front of him.  Unfolding it curiously, he saw a quickly scrawled message from Tonks.

_“Have fun studying today.  I know it’s not thrilling, but you’re doing a great job!”_

He smiled and traced the letters affectionately.  To his surprise, the moment he touched the parchment, the words on the page rearranged themselves into a far less appropriate message.

_“I was just thinking about you, and I swear I got wet immediately.  You’ll have to do something about that tonight.”_

A moment later it faded back to the original message.  Harry blushed and looked over his shoulder to make sure no one else had seen the note, but he was alone in the library.  Tonks didn’t mention it at lunch, but that night she made good on her promise.  Each day thereafter she’d send him a memo with two messages, one of encouragement, and one that never failed to make his pants feel a bit uncomfortable for a while.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Aurors on the Alberton taskforce were slowly pulling together information on his known friends and associates.  Tonks decided not to begin interviewing them until after the holidays, however.

“If you’re right about it being one of his friends, we’re only going to get a few shots at this,” she explained to Harry. “Once we start interviewing them it’s only a matter of time before it gets back to Alberton.  I want to make sure we’ve got all our bases covered before that.”

The result was that several weeks passed without anything very interesting happening.  Each day was much the same: Harry studied until his eyes hurt, then Tonks took him home and worked him until…other things hurt.  On the weekends they spent time with Ron and Hermione or visiting Andromeda.  Tonks’s mother had not quite warmed to Harry yet, but they had managed to go a whole visit without her mentioning his abysmal safety record.

Tonks also made good on her promise that they discuss their prior injuries with each other.  This was particularly unpleasant for Harry, on both ends.  Hearing about the various misfortunes that had befallen Tonks was hardly an enjoyable pastime.  She had fallen down staircases, off of brooms, concussed herself on low hanging beams, and once nearly been run through by a unicorn.  And those were just in school.  As an Auror she’d been hexed, jinxed, cursed, tortured, and everything in between.  Tonks didn’t hold back on details, making sure he was very clear on the sorts of discomfort she could endure.

Recounting his own set of wounds was hardly easier, as it required recalling the circumstances in which he’d received them.  He was particularly hesitant, now that he was aware of how hearing about these things made Tonks feel, but she was insistent.   And as always, she devised a clever way of soothing these memories.

“I always wondered where you got this.” Tonks said, tracing the thin white scars on the back of his right hand.

“A few weeks worth of detentions with Umbridge,” Harry explained darkly. “She had a pen that carved it into my skin when I wrote.”

Tonks swallowed against a look of revulsion.  She bent and kissed the back of his hand.

“What’s this one?” she asked, lightly touching a scar on his forearm.

“Basilisk fang,” Harry said. “Only survived because Dumbledore’s phoenix was there.”

Once again her lips softly pressed against the old scar.  His skin tingled where she touched him.

“How about these?” Several long, faded lines on his arm.

“Cousin Dudley pushed me into a burner when I was a kid.”

These too received light kisses.

This continued, Tonks making her way along Harry’s body, leaving kisses anywhere she found scars and marks; across his shoulder where Nagini had bitten him, his chest where Slytherin’s locket had burned into his skin, and up to his forehead.

“Obviously I know about this one,” she said, her lips brushing his lightning bolt scar. “You’ve been through a lot, Harry.”

“Not everything left marks,” Harry mentioned.  He was inexplicably close to tears, and he had no idea why.

“The worst things don’t,” she said. “Anything else?”

“The usual,” he said, trying to stay casual. “Cruciatas, broken bones, missing bones, cuts scrapes, all that.”

“You make it sound so matter of fact,” Tonks observed softly. “You don’t have to do that.”

Harry looked away uncomfortably. “I don’t like people acting sorry for me.”

She placed a hand along his cheek and gently turned his head back to her. “I’m not taking pity on you, Harry.  We’re doing this for a reason, but I also want to know.  I don’t imagine you’ve shared this with many other people.”

He felt his throat constricting, and he shook his head.

“There’s more too, isn’t there?” she stated, more than asked.

Harry couldn’t look away from the compassion and care in her eyes.  He nodded.

“Do you feel like telling me?”

He found his voice. “I don’t think you’d believe me.”

Tonks looked at him steadily. “I’ll always believe you, Harry.”

“I don’t want to scare you.”

“I promise I won’t overreact to anything,” she reassured him.

He struggled against the lump in his throat, trying to find a way to explain something he’d never even told Ron and Hermione.

“If you’re not ready to, I understand-” she started to say.

“I died!” Harry blurted out.  Tonks stopped speaking midsentence and stared, open mouthed at him. “In the forest, when I went to Voldemort.  I died.”

Tonks blinked several times, attempting to rally. “What – but, how?”

Sentences tripping over each other, Harry explained as quickly as he could the vision of Dumbledore at the ethereal King’s Cross station.  When he was done, Tonks continued to look at him in shock.  Despite what she’d said, he half expected her to scoff at the tale.

“Have you told anyone else about that?” she asked quietly several moments later.

Harry shook his head. “I figured people would think I’m crazy.”

“You’d be surprised what people will believe,” Tonks said. “But still, I imagine that’s not the easiest thing to share.”

It was not, Harry reflected mutely.  This seemed to show on his face, because Tonks gently pressed her forehead against his.

“Thank you for telling me,” she said quietly. “Makes me feel even luckier to have you.”

Despite the morbidity of the subject, Harry couldn’t help but smile at her.

 ***

One day, about a week before Christmas, Harry was at his usual table in the library, when the now customary purple memo landed in front of him.  He eagerly opened it to see Tonks’s message of the day.

_“Something came up and I can’t make lunch.  Really sorry, I’ll make it up to you later.”_

To his disappointment, the text didn’t transform into anything risqué, but remained stubbornly unchanged.  After several moments he decided she must not have had time to come up with anything else and returned, resignedly to his studies.

At lunch he got up to leave the library, thinking that maybe he’d see if Ron and Hermione would mind him joining them.  However, before he made it out of the Auror cubicles, Smith approached him.

“Potter, come with me for a moment,” he said gruffly.  He’d never particularly warmed to Harry, especially after Harry had repeatedly disobeyed his orders, but he seemed especially disgruntled today.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, falling into step behind Smith.

“Kingsley will explain,” Smith replied shortly.  He led Harry across the Auror Office, and through a door Harry was sure he’d never seen before.  Beyond it, was a small, circular room unadorned except for a second door opposite the entrance.

The room was crowded with people.  Kingsley stood in the exact center, with the eight other senior Aurors arrayed along the walls.  Smith went to stand with them, right next to Tonks.  Harry looked at her for some indication of what was going on, but her face remained expressionless.

“Mr. Potter,” Kingsley began formally. “Welcome to your Auror qualification examination.  In a moment, you will be tested on the knowledge you’ve gained as an Auror trainee.  This test will consist of an oral and practical examination.  Do you have any questions?”

Harry looked around in confusion. “Uh, yeah.  Was I supposed to know this was happening?”

A couple of the senior Aurors cracked smiles, but Kingsley remained impassive. “We don’t inform trainees of the time or nature of their examinations.  As an Auror, you must always be prepared, you must always be vigilant.”

Realizing this wasn’t some kind of prank, Harry began to grow nervous. “How am I going to be graded?”

“You pass or you fail,” Kingsley said. “If you pass, you become an Auror.  If you fail, you don’t.  Do you understand?”

His stomach now actively twisting, Harry nodded.

“Then let’s begin.” Kingsley straightened and clasped his hands behind his back. “Give the name and incantation for the spell to repel dementors.”

“The Patronus Charm, Expecto Patronum,” Harry recited at once.

“Alternative uses?”

“Combatting Lethifolds and, in one recorded instance, an Obscurus,” Harry said, hoping he was remembering that right.

Kingsley gave no indication whether Harry had been correct or not, but turned and nodded to an Auror along the wall whose name was escaping Harry’s slightly panicked brain at the moment.

“Give the precise formula for the antidote to the Egyptian Mind Poison.”

Harry wracked his brains for a moment before listing off a series of ingredients and their process for producing the antidote.

This continued for some time, each senior Auror taking it in turn to ask questions of varying complexity.  They quizzed him on defensive charms and spells, venoms and antidotes, Dark creatures and beasts.  Harry fell into a rhythm of recollection and response, the routine become automatic.  Like Kingsley, none of the Aurors gave any hint if they were satisfied with his answers, but he didn’t have time to worry as he fielded question after question.

The only hiccup came with Tonks’s query.  His heart skipped a beat when she stepped forward to test him.  Her face showed no expression as she said, “Recite Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration and describe potential interactions with inanimate defensive charms."

Harry gaped at her.  At no point in any of his studies had he come across any mention of Gamp’s Law in relation to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Belatedly he stumbled through a recitation of Gamp’s Law as best he as he could remember, then tried to figure out a way to connect the two concepts. “Well, I suppose since Gamp’s Law describes the alterations that can be made to an object without changing its fundamental nature, it would also be helpful for casting defensive spells on objects or buildings.  If you Transfigure something beyond its original properties, any protections could be accidentally obliterated, depending on the spell.”

He had no idea if his response had been anything resembling coherent, and Tonks wasn’t giving anything away.  Before he could decide whether to pass out or not, the next question had begun.

At some point the senior Aurors fell silent and Kingsley stepped forward again. “You will now take the practical portion of the examination.  The door behind me leads to an obstacle course of sorts.  Navigate it to the best of your abilities, and we will assess your performance.”

Harry nodded, relieved to be done with the questioning.  He would take a practical demonstration of his abilities over a theoretical one any day of the week.

At the door he paused. “Just out of curiosity, what if I had forgotten my wand at my desk or something?” he asked Kingsley.

“You would have failed,” Kingsley said simply. “An Auror never forgets their wand.”

Harry looked down at his wand, glad he had learned that lesson years ago.  Turning the knob, he stepped through the door, and into the obstacle course.

Pure darkness met him when he entered the next room, and when the door shut behind him, he couldn’t see anything.  He ignited the tip of his wand, but the circle of light barely reached beyond his feet.  Confused he looked around.  Was this part of the exam, trying to figure out how to get out of a pitch black room?

Then he recalled that there were several creatures native to South America that naturally produced darkness as a hunting mechanism.  Lumos itself would not be sufficient to counteract this ability.

“Incendio!” Harry shouted into the darkness.  A burst of flame exploded out of the end of his wand, temporarily illuminating the dark room, and its ominous occupants.  Sinister forms slithered on the floor and walls, several only a few feet from Harry.  All too soon, the light faded with his spell, and he was left in darkness again.

“Dammit!” Harry swore.  Incendio wouldn’t last long enough to drive away the creatures.  Forcing himself to breathe, he dredged up the incantation for a long lasting fire.  It was a complex spell, and it took him several moments to remember the proper wand motions.  The hissing just beyond his vision wasn’t helping his nerves.

The spell sprang to life just in time to scare away one of the creatures poking around his ankles.  The rest scattered as he waved the handful of flame around the room.  As they ran, light gradually returned to the space.

“Alright then,” Harry muttered to himself, extinguishing the fire. “One down, who knows how many to go.”

He took a proper look around the new room for the first time.  It was quite unlike the previous space, where he’d been quizzed.  Rock formations surrounded him, obscuring everything but the small path directly ahead of him.  Figuring he was meant to follow the path, he set off, navigating amongst boulders and loose rocks, constantly on the lookout for new threats.

But the next thing he encountered was not a creature or trap.  After several winding turns, he found himself in a little clearing, with two branches leading off into a forest.  Most curiously, a simple wooden table sat in the middle of the clearing, with a cauldron and a variety of potions ingredients sitting on top of it.

Harry looked at the table curiously, then went to examine the exits to the clearing.  A strange haze lay over both, and he approached one cautiously.  The moment he set a foot outside the clearing he backed away, coughing at the smell of sulfur and cloves.  Hesitantly he walked up to the other.  This one was giving off a different, but equally unpleasant odor of dung and wood smoke.

It didn’t take Harry long to realized that some kind of magical poison had been cast over the two paths, and it was his job to figure out which and brew up a potion that would protect him.  He spent several moments recalling the descriptions of various airborne magical toxins until he was confident he knew what he was dealing with.  The path on the left was clouded with Garroting Gas, while the one of the right was a Forgetfulness Mist.  Then he took a proper look at the potions table to see what kinds of ingredients they had given him.

To his surprise, they had provided him with all the ingredients to make the antidotes to either poison.  However, several components were the same for both antidotes, and they hadn’t given him enough to make both.  He’d have to choose which path he wanted to take, and hope he’d chosen correctly.

He dithered for a while, trying to make his decision.  Neither path seemed to differ in any significant way, and in the end he had to toss a Sickle he had in his pocket to make his choice.  He ended up with the left path, and set to work on his antidote.

Half an hour later, he was ready.  Praying he’d prepared the elixir properly, he downed the little vial, and set off into the gas.  The odor remained unpleasant, but his antidote seemed to be doing its job.  Knowing he only had about ten minutes of immunity, he hurried through the fake forest, in case this went on a while.

He was so fixated on getting through as quickly as possible that he very nearly missed the sound of rustling leaves and cracking twigs just inside the treeline, running parallel to his path.  When a Stunning Spell shot between two trees next to him, he only barely got up a Shield Charm in time.  He stopped, peering through the dark branches, trying to see his attacker, but nothing presented itself.

“Hominum Revelio!”

His spell had very little effect, except to brightly illuminate a figure lurking just out of his line of sight.  The moment he identified his attacker, the cloaked figure burst onto the path and began flinging spells at Harry.  Harry responded in kind, and for several moments they stood facing each other, lighting up the forest path with sparks.

At the edge of his consciousness, Harry gradually became aware that the odor of the Garroting Gas was becoming more pungent, a sure sign that his antidote was starting to wear off.  If he didn’t get out of this forest soon, he’d be quickly incapacitated.

Starting to feel concerned, he took the risky step of advanced down the forest path towards his opponent.  He hoped that the unknown attacker would back away and preserve his reaction time as much as possible, but the cloaked figure stood his ground.  There were now barely five feet separating them, and spells flashed by Harry without any time to consciously register them.

Whoever he was fighting must have been one of the strongest duelists in the Ministry.  Harry very much doubted they’d brought a Death Eater out of Azkaban to challenge him, so it had to be an Auror.  Harry had dueled most of the senior Aurors by now, and only two had ever put up this much of a fight.  One was Tonks, and the other was Kingsley.  With the cloak and mask, he had no idea which it might be.  The figure was tall, but Tonks could easily have increased her height to throw him off.

He had to take a chance and hope he was right.  In between the flashes of spells, he shouted. “Kingsley!”

His attacker paused for the briefest of moments, but it was enough.  Turning, Harry fled into the forest, pulling out his Invisibility Cloak as he did so.  Spells flew into the woods around him, but he ignored that, throwing the cloak around himself.  Keeping just in sight of the path, he began running along, just as Kingsley had been doing.

Kingsley could hear him running, but he was clearly thrown off by not being able to see Harry, and he ceased firing spells, instead shadowing Harry’s movements.  Harry refrained from attacking, electing to focus on escaping the gas, which was growing stronger every moment.

Harry broke into a sprint, desperate to reach the end of the path.  He started to cough and forced himself to hold his breath, the antidote now fully used up.  He thought he saw a light growing between the trees and redoubled his efforts.  Kingsley resumed flinging spells through the trees in an attempt to stop him reaching clear air, but not being able to see Harry prevented him from being effective.

At last, Harry burst out of the forest and immediately sucked in a lungful of clean air.  Painfully aware that he was being pursued, he spun to confront Kingsley, who was sure to be upon him at any moment.

But Harry was again taken off guard when no cloaked figure emerged from the forest.  He kept his eyes on the path for several minutes, unwilling to believe that Kingsley had given up, but he saw no sign of movement.  Warily, he turned his attention to the next stage of the examination.

It took him the better part of the day to navigate the rest of the Auror obstacle course.  Next he had to find his way through an abandoned fort, that was loaded to the gills with all manner of jinxes, traps, and creatures, most of whom seemed to react to noise very strongly.  As Harry tiptoed through a dungeon, he reflected that this must have been a nightmare for Tonks.  The final chamber in the fort required him to distinguish venoms from the transubstantiation potion that would allow him to pass, ghost like, through the blank stone wall blocking his path.

After the fort was a perfect replica of Diagon Alley, complete with its own infestation murderous ghouls, kobolds, and, most alarmingly, a chimaera.  Harry was also forced to defend himself against several more attacks from Kingsley along the way, usually at the most inconvenient times.

He managed to escape all of this with only a few minor burns and scrapes.  As he opened the doors to the fake Gringotts, he wondered what was next.  His imagination conjured up everything from dementors to poisonous bogs to Blast-Ended Skrewts.

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Tonks lying in an empty stone chamber, eyes unseeing, arms askew at her side.

“Tonks?” His stomach plummeted and he made to rush to her side.  However, with an unpleasant sense of déjà vu he remembered he was being tested, and stopped, looking around for signs of traps or danger.  Nevertheless, his spells revealed nothing but blank stone walls.  Cautiously, he approached Tonks’s prone form.

“Tonks?” he said, waving his hands in front of her blank eyes. “Tonks, what’s wrong?”

Perhaps this was like the poisons test and he was meant to figure out what was wrong with her.  But after several minutes of muttered counterspells, she still showed no signs of life, nor could he identify any poisons, toxins, or other magical ills.

Hesitantly, his heart beating faster than at any point during the course, he reached out to press his fingers against her throat.  Her skin was cold as ice, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find a pulse.

Harry started to panic and he shook her roughly. “Come on Tonks, wake up!” He shouted.  She didn’t respond.

He sat back and forced himself to think.  How could Tonks possibly be dead, what could have happened while he was in the course?  There was no way this could be part of the test, she wouldn’t have done this to him again, right after they’d fought about it.  Was something he’d missed?  Had she charged into the test to help him and accidentally been killed?  Kingsley wouldn’t let have let that happen.  But Harry couldn’t figure out any way this could have been staged.  Unless…

Harry looked shrewdly at Tonks’s body.  It didn’t make sense, but he couldn’t imagine any other possible explanation.

Pointing his wand at the body, he said, “Riddikulus.”

Tonks immediately vanished in a crack of smoke.  Harry let his wand fall to his side, every part of him shaking badly.  He hardly noticed the wall crack open and a stream of wizards pour into the stone chamber.  Someone bent over him and started running a wand across the accumulated scratches he’d gathered in the course, causing them to vanish.  This barely registered with him; he couldn’t take his eyes off the patch of ground where the boggart had been imitating Tonks.

“He’s all good,” a brisk voice said, and the figure that had been tending him stood and walked away.

“Harry?” a deep voice called him.  Harry didn’t respond, and the voice sounded again, closer this time. “Harry!”

With enormous effort, he dragged his eyes away from the floor and looked up.  Kingsley was gazing down at him, his expression concerned.

“You alright, Harry?” Kingsley asked.

“Yeah,” Harry said mechanically. “Yeah I’m fine.”

Still looking concerned, Kingsley reached down and pulled Harry to his feet.  Slowly Harry realized that the rest of the senior Aurors were also standing around them.  Several were smirking slightly, and one muttered to Smith, “It’s always the boggart.  They’re never expecting that.”

“My boggart’s a dementor,” Harry said before he could think about it. “I don’t know what that was.”

His gaze found Tonks, who was standing next to Smith again.  Her expression was still studiously blank, but he thought she looked paler than usual.

Kingsley glanced around at the assembled crowd. “I’ll take it from here everyone, you can head back out.”

With a couple pats on the back and one or two lingering grins, the senior Aurors filed out.  Tonks was the last to leave, and she cast one final look at Harry as she closed the door.

“You did well, Harry,” Kingsley said once they were alone. “As well as anyone’s done in years, to be honest.”

“Thanks,” Harry said numbly, still processing his shock. “That mean I passed?”

“You passed,” Kingsley confirmed, and he held out a badge. “Congratulations!”

Harry took it and saw the Auror insignia above his name, engraved in silver.  A faint spark of pride managed to sneak through the fear still clouding his brain.

“I do have just a couple notes,” Kingsley said. “In the interest of future situations, you know.”

“Hit me,” Harry said, not really caring at the moment.

“No problem on your answers, although Tonks thinks you stumbled a bit with her question.  You also did well with the antidotes in the forest, but you know you could have just used a Bubble Head Charm, right?”

“Oh, right.” The idea hadn’t even occurred to him.

“Using the cloak was a brilliant move, but you want to be careful not to reveal that too often,” Kingsley went on. “Keep it in reserve for emergencies.  You also almost let that one ghoul drop down on you; never forget to check ceilings as well.”

“Got it,” Harry said. “What about this?” He nodded at the floor of the chamber.

Kingsley mimicked his glance. “Yeah, that.  I take it you haven’t seen a boggart in a while?” Harry shook his head. “Well as unpleasant as it is, I’d recommend finding one every once in a while, just to keep prepared.  We mostly throw that one is as a joke at the end, but it doesn’t seem to have been very funny.”

It was, Harry decided, definitely not very funny.

“Harry, I should be honest with you,” Kingsley said, clasping his hands behind his back. “This was mostly a formality, to make Tonks feel better.  I’d have given you the badge when you started, if I thought you’d take it.  Whatever her fears, I think you’re more than prepared to handle the whole Dark Arts side of being an Auror.

“ _My_ fear has always been things like this,” he went on, gesturing to where the boggart had lain. “As Aurors we deal with life and death all the time, but even we have a better mortality rate than the people you grew up around.  When there aren’t wars happening,” he amended. “But I’m afraid you’ll take this more seriously than you should.  We’re Aurors, not soldiers, but whenever there’s a dangerous situation, you charge at it because you worry what’ll happen to the people you love if you don’t.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, Harry, try not to worry so much,” he finished, laying a hand on Harry’s shoulder.

“I’ll do my best,” Harry promised, actually feeling a bit better.

“Good,” Kingsley said with a smile. “Now get out of here.  I’m sure you’re ready to take a break.  Just make sure you don’t share the details of the test with the other trainees.  You wouldn’t believe how long it takes to set this up.  I’d rather not have to switch it up because people know what to expect.”

Harry cracked a slight grin. “I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

He was more than a little relieved to exit the stone chamber.  Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was past seven, and he figured the Office would be empty, which was good.  He wanted nothing more than to find Tonks and get the hell home.

Unfortunately, the day’s trials weren’t quite over.  The moment he reentered the Office, a tremendous cheer went up.

He froze, struggling to comprehend the scene in front of him.  Every Auror, recruit, and a number of people from other Departments were waiting for him.  They’d strung up a banner from the ceiling that read “Congratulations, Harry!”

“Well done, mate!” Ron said, detaching himself from the crowd to clap Harry on the shoulder. “First qualified Auror of the new bunch!”

“What was it like?” Neville asked nervously. “What all did you have to do?”

“I’m not supposed to say,” Harry muttered numbly.

“Oh come on, that’s not fair!”

Harry was quickly sucked into the throng of people looking to congratulate him for passing the test.  He wondered vaguely if this was normal procedure for newly qualified Aurors, or if it was just because it was him.  As he shook hands and fought off attempts to pry information out of him, he kept glancing around, looking for the one person he actually wanted to see.

But Tonks didn’t appear to be anywhere in sight, and he resigned himself to glad handing what felt like everyone in the Ministry.  This lasted for over an hour, the party only breaking up when Kingsley came by at nine to send everyone home.

“I know, I know!” he said over disappointed groans. “But the cleaning staff are threatening to quit if you don’t all leave soon!”

Reluctantly, people began meandering away.  Harry finally managed to get to his cubicle to retrieve his traveling cloak.  A purple note was lying on his desk.  Opening it, he saw a message from Tonks.

_“Waiting for you at home.”_

Ron caught up with Harry as he was entering the elevators. “Hermione couldn’t make it, had something with her parents, but she says dinner on Friday to celebrate!”

“Sounds good,” Harry said with more enthusiasm than he felt.

Ron beamed. “Well done again, Harry!” he repeated, and bound off into the Atrium.

Somewhat more sedately, Harry followed, reaching the Disapparition point and vanishing.  He arrived at Tonks’s apartment without incident, and knocked, not having a set of keys to let himself in.

The door opened immediately, and Tonks stood in the doorway.  Her hair was brown and disheveled, as if she’d been running her hands through it, and her eyes were red.

The moment she saw Harry, she flung her arms around him.  He returned the hug, pulling her tightly against him.  The feeling of her arms around his neck allowed him, for the first time since the test, to truly acknowledge that she was safe and whole.

“I’m so sorry, Harry,” she said, pulling back to look at him. “I wanted to tell you, I really did, but we’re not allowed to, and Kingsley said you’d be fine, but we change the test every year, and I had no idea, are you-?”

Harry interrupted her ramblings by kissing her.  She squeaked in surprise but quickly melted into the kiss.  He held her for a long time, relishing the solid, vibrant feel of her.

“So, you’re not angry?” she said when he broke the kiss.

“Why would I be angry?” Harry asked with a laugh. 

“I don’t know,” she said uncertainly. “I know you didn’t like the surprise tests, but this just got sprung on you, and when I saw your boggart, I don’t know, I just thought-” She broke off, eyes shining. “The boggart’s always a little prank, because everyone’s expecting something really scary and then they get that.  I mean thirteen-year olds deal with boggarts.  But then I saw yours and it wasn’t really that funny was it?”

“No it wasn‘t,” Harry admitted. “But it’s not like you could’ve known that’s what would happen.  _I_ didn’t know that’s what it would become.  Normally it’s a dementor.”

“Still, I’m just really sorry,” Tonks said miserably.

Harry sighed and led her to the couch.  They sat facing each other, and Harry cupped her hands in his. “Listen, Tonks, Kingsley said something to me that makes a lot of sense.  He told me not to worry so much.  You and I have been treating this like it’s life or death, and it’s not as though we don’t have reason to, but maybe we should lighten up a tiny bit.”

“Your boggart is me dead now, Harry,” she countered. “Doesn’t that seem like a reason to take things seriously?”

“Not if you think about it,” Harry said. “I mean that wasn’t the most fun thing I’ve ever seen, but now I’m expecting it.  And yeah, it’s not the best way of telling someone you care about them, but you’ve got a sense of how much you matter to me now.”

Tonks seemed to consider his words. “That’s an incredibly morbid way of looking at it.  But I suppose I should be thankful you’re looking for the silver lining.”

She still seemed distressed though, and Harry took her hand. “It’s honestly okay, Tonks.  And now I don’t have to spend every day with my head in a book.”

“It just…wasn’t the most pleasant thing for me either,” Tonks said miserably. “I guess I didn’t realize how much I meant to you.”

“I’ve told you once or twice,” Harry pointed out wryly.

“Yeah, but there’s a difference between hearing it and seeing it like that,” she said, and her eyes were shining. “Harry, I’m not used to someone caring about me this much.  The only people I’ve ever really been close to are my parents, and even that’s tricky.  I’m not sure what to do, you know, how to be.”

“Well I’m obviously not an expert,” Harry replied, “but it doesn’t seem like you need to do anything.  I don’t care about you this much because you acted a certain way.  It’s who you are, not something you did.”

For some reason this seemed to make her more emotional.  She blinked rapidly. “I’ve never been in a relationship like this before.  I don’t want to mess anything up.”

“Me neither,” he said truthfully. “I figure we work it out together.  That’s what being in a relationship is, right?  Figuring stuff out together?  As partners.”

Her lips trembled, and she tackled him into another hug.  He smiled, holding her as close as he could.  She clung to him more tightly than he could ever remember, hands gripping tightly at the back of his shirt.

“I love you, Tonks,” he said softly.  He didn’t say it often, for fear of making her uncomfortable, but when he did, it seemed to put her at ease.

“I love you too, Harry.” She breathed the words so quietly that Harry thought he must have imagined them.

He sat there, stunned for a long moment.  Those were words he’d longed to, but not expected to hear for some time.  He knew she’d had a difficult time in relationships before, and that it might be a while, if ever, before she felt comfortable reciprocating the sentiment.  Of course, he’d been increasingly worried that maybe she didn’t feel as strongly about him, and that she’d leave him once she realized. 

He drew back to look at her, mouth slightly open, trying to find words to the myriad questions he wanted to ask, but none came.

Tonks gave him a tremulous smile, her eyes still watery, but not from sadness, he saw now.  “I’ve wanted to say it for a while now, but I wasn’t sure how.  You’ve been so good to me, Harry.  You’re so kind and caring and you treat me so much better than I ever thought a guy would.  So, there it is.  I love you.”

Harry could feel a wide smile break out on his face.  He tried think of something to say, something to express the intense happiness that was now spreading through him, but nothing seemed quite right.  Pulling her close again, he kissed her.  It wasn’t a passionate or sexual kiss, but a loving one.

“By the way,” Tonks whispered when they separated. “I don’t think I’ve said it yet, but congratulations.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter was a lot of fun and fairly emotional for me, as it was for the characters. We still have a few chapters to go, including one or two that will be pure smut (just for fun), but this an extremely significant moment in the story. I don't plan to feature much more conflict between Harry and Tonks, mostly because this is meant to be a happier story.   
> In case you were hoping for a ton more arguments, you've been warned ;) 
> 
> Thanks as always for reading!


	16. Gifts

The week leading up to Christmas was a happy one.  Tonks telling Harry she loved him put him on cloud nine, and he couldn’t seem to find anything to worry about.  It also started sinking in that he was now a fully qualified Auror, and no longer needed to worry about studying until his eyes hurt.  And as Tonks was fond of reminding him, he was the youngest Auror to pass qualifications since Mad-Eye Moody himself.

Harry was officially assigned as Tonks’s partner, second in charge of the investigation into Alberton.  This didn’t change very much in practice, but it made Tonks rather happy.

Not that they got very much done before the holidays.  The prospect of almost a week off effectively dulled everyone’s motivation to work.  Tonks was no exception.  Although she had to set a good example, she spent most of the week passing memos back and forth to Harry.  Ostensibly this was to consult on the case, but the reality was far less professional.

_“Loved what you did with your tongue last night.  Can’t remember the last time I came that hard.  Unless it was all the other times you licked my pussy.”_

_“Well speaking of things with tongues, what about what you did with yours?  Where’d you learn that?”_

_“A lady never sucks cock and tells.  Although I’ll gladly tell you how much I love sucking your cock.”_

_“At this rate I’m not going not going to be able to leave for lunch.”_

_“I could always wander over to your desk and give you a hand.”_

_“I’d say yes in an instant if I thought there was any chance we could get away with it.”_

_“Shame.  I could use a snack, and your cum tastes really good.”_

Harry’s heart made a serious attempt to leapt right out of his chest when he read this last one.  He was genuinely debating just walking over and bending Tonks over her desk, consequences be damned, when Ron rapped on his cubicle entrance, causing him to jump about a foot.

“Sorry,” he said. “Didn’t mean to surprise you.  Got a minute?”

“Yeah, sure,” Harry said, hastily folding up the note. “What’s up?”

“Mum wanted me to figure out what you and Tonks are planning for Christmas.  If you don’t have anything going on, she was hoping you’d come round for dinner.”

“We hadn’t talked about anything,” Harry replied. “I’m guessing she’ll want to visit her mum, but I’m not sure when.  What do you and Hermione usually do?”

“Morning and afternoon with her folks, evening with mine,” Ron said.

“Maybe I’ll suggest that,” Harry said. “Tell her I think we can make it and I’ll confirm later.”

“Sure thing.” Ron paused before leaving. “You feeling alright, Harry, you seem a little flushed there.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Harry said gamely. “Just a little warm today, that’s all.”

Ron gave him a suspicious look, but didn’t press the point.  Harry sank back into his chair with a sigh once his friend had disappeared.  In his opinion, this was getting rather dangerous.

He broached the topic of Christmas at lunch.  Tonks was more than willing to split up the day as he’d suggested.

“I assumed we were going to the Weasley’s at some point,” she said. “I’m honestly a bit surprised Molly hasn’t dragged us over for dinner sooner.”

“How come?” he asked curiously.

“Well they’re kind of your family, Harry,” she replied. “I figured they’d want to meet the girl you’re dating.”

“You’ve already known them for years though,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but as a member of the Order,” she countered. “Being your girlfriend is a whole different thing.  Families tend to get protective.”

The idea that they might hadn’t actually occurred to Harry, and he started to wonder if he should have done something sooner.  He wasn’t always sure where he stood with Mrs. Weasley on these kind of familial situations.

“Well, too late now I guess,” he said with a shrug. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, hopefully,” Tonks said absently.  She seemed less cheerful than normal.

“You sure you’re alright with this?” Harry asked. “Because I bet they’d understand if you wanted to spend the whole of Christmas with your mum.”

“All of Christmas with my mum?” she repeated with a horrified expression. “I thought you liked me, Harry.”

Harry was confused. “Well then what-?”

“I’m worried about Ginny,” Tonks blurted out.

“Ginny?  What about her?”

“I haven’t seen her in over a year,” Tonks said, fidgeting. “I’ve got no idea how she’ll react to us dating.  I’m worried she’ll think I stole you or something.”

“Why would she think that?” Harry said, nonplussed. “We split quite a while ago, I doubt she expected me to live like a monk or anything.  Matter of fact, I’d be very surprised if she hadn’t dated as well.”

“There’s a difference between knowing your ex might be seeing someone, and having that shoved in your face,” Tonks said. “And it’s not like I’m some stranger.  Ginny and I are friends, or we _were_ friends at least.  I’m worried she’ll be angry.”

Harry sat there, unsure what to say.  He hadn’t given much thought to how Ginny would feel about him dating Tonks. “What should we do?”

“Nothing we can do,” Tonks replied. “We’ll just have to hope for the best.”

“We could talk with her when we get there,” he suggested. “Get it all out of the way.”

“And what if it goes badly?” Tonks countered. “Then we have to sit there all evening, pretending everything’s okay.”

Harry thought about it a moment longer, trying to find a solution. “What about inviting your mum along?  I’m sure Molly wouldn’t mind, and that way you’d have some reinforcements.”

Tonks pursed her lips. “Not sure that’d be such a good idea.”

“How come?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Have you forgotten that Molly killed my aunt?  It’s not like she didn’t have reason to, but still, I doubt that’d be the most pleasant reminder for my mum.”

“Oh, right.” Harry felt more than a little embarrassed that he hadn’t thought of that.

“Let’s just play it by ear, see how things are before we decide to make a fuss out of it.”

Harry wasn’t very thrilled about this idea, but he couldn’t think of anything else, so he nodded.

 ***

Harry woke up on Christmas morning in an unusually good mood.  He lay in bed, feeling peaceful and warm.  A pleasant glow was spreading throughout his body, and it took several moments before his sleepy brain caught on to the fact that someone had been gently stroking his cock while he’d been asleep.

He opened his eyes to see Tonks smiling at him, her hair tousled and messy.  Her hand moved under the covers, out of sight, but Harry could feel her rubbing his shaft.

“Morning,” she said sweetly. “Happy Christmas, Harry.”

“Happy Christmas, Tonks,” he replied with a grin. “Didn’t feel like waiting for me to wake up?”

She gave a little fake pout. “I got impatient.  Can you blame me?”

“Given the circumstances, not really,” he said with a grin.

Tonks continued running her hand up and down his cock. “You ready for your first present?”

“Oh, um, sure,” Harry said, taken aback slightly.  Given the way she’d woken him, he assumed she wanted something else right now.

But she didn’t get up to fetch anything.  Instead she flopped onto her back and looked over at him. “Notice anything different?” she asked.

Confused, he looked her over.  Her hair was its natural color, and she appeared to be the same height as usual, although it was hard to tell on the bed.  It took him a surprisingly long time to realize what she was talking about.  She’d made her breasts larger.  Not comically so, but enough that he noticed.

“That took a while,” she giggled when his eyes widened in surprise.

“I thought you said you didn’t like doing that?” Harry said.

“No, I said I didn’t like doing it all the time,” she corrected him. “I like getting my tits fucked, but guys usually make it weird afterward.  You’re not going to make it weird, right Harry?” She gave him a seductive little pout.

Numbly he shook his head.

“Then stop complaining and get on top of me,” Tonks directed him.

He scrambled to do as instructed, swinging a leg over so he was straddling her torso.  Even kneeling though, his cock was a few inches above her body, and he wasn’t sure how to position himself.  Luckily Tonks did. 

“You’re kind of tall, so it helps if you lean over a bit,” she said. “Brace yourself on the headboard like that.”

He made the adjustments and his cock settled into the valley of her cleavage.  It was such a filthy image, looking down to see his cock resting between her breasts, pointing up towards her face.  Tonks completed it by pushing her enlarged tits together, so that they wrapped around Harry’s shaft completely.

“Now fuck my tits, Harry!” she said in her most sultry voice.

Sliding his cock between Tonks’s breasts was unlike anything else Harry had experienced thus far.  It didn’t hold a candle to her pussy or mouth, but the visual element made it one of the most erotic things they’d ever done.  He still couldn’t believe it was happening, and he didn’t want to say anything else in case she changed her mind.

Not that Tonks seemed interested in stopping. “You enjoying this?” she breathed up at him. “You like pushing your big, hard cock between my tits?”

“Fuck yes!” he hissed, clinging to the headboard for dear life.

“You know you can fuck my mouth too, if you feel like switching up,” she suggested casually.

Harry wasn’t about to pass up one of her blowjobs and quickly shifted forward so that his dick was lined up with her face.  Giggling at his eagerness, Tonks parted her lips and flicked her tongue against the underside of his shaft before pulling him into her mouth.  Her head was propped up on some pillows, making the angle easier.  He waited breathlessly for her to shove him into the back of her throat like she usually did, but she continued to just suckle on the tip.

Eventually she drew back enough to speak. “I said you can fuck my mouth, Harry.  What are you waiting for?”

He stared at her, not believing his ears. “You mean…?”

“I mean stop being a gentleman and shove your cock down my throat!” She wrapped her lips around the head of his cock again, and looked up at him defiantly. 

Tentatively, he started bucking his hips forward, pushing more of his cock into her mouth. He kept looking for some signal from her that she needed to stop, but she just held his gaze, hands resting along his thighs.  Still feeling uncertain, he picked up the pace a little, sliding himself in an out of her mouth.

After a while he pulled out completely to let her catch her breath and rest her jaw, but her response was not exactly grateful.

“Come on, Harry, you’re acting like I’m some schoolgirl doing this for the first time,” she said fiercely. “Now fuck my face already!”

That Gryffindor competitiveness in him bristled at being challenged like that, and, emboldened, he immediately shoved his half his length into her mouth, only stopping when he felt the tip of his cock press against the back of her throat.  He held it there for several delicious seconds before withdrawing again.

“Better,” Tonks said with a gasp. “But you know I can take more than that.”

Deciding that she really was serious, Harry buried himself between her lips, not stopping until every inch was encased in the tight confines of her throat.  Tonks never dropped his gaze, daring him to keep going.  He set up a rhythm far more appropriate to fucking her pussy, shoving his cock in and out of her mouth faster than seemed safe, but she made no move to stop him.

He only stopped when he started to feel his balls tighten, and he didn’t want to end this experience so soon.  Drawing himself fully out of her mouth, he leaned back a bit, letting Tonks catch her breath.

“Much better,” she said approvingly. “From now on, if I tell you to fuck my face, that’s what I mean.”

“Good to know,” Harry remarked. “Mind if I fuck your tits again?”

“I almost thought you’d forgotten about them,” she said with a smile, pushing her breasts up.

His dick was shiny with her saliva, and he slid easily between her breasts.  He couldn’t believe how pleasurable this was, and looking down at Tonks, she seemed to be enjoying it as well.  Her skin was flushed, and her nipples were hard peaks between her fingers.  She stared, seemingly engrossed, as the tip of his cock emerged between her tits over and over again.

When he felt like he needed more lubrication he moved up to fuck her throat again.  She took his cock willingly, stretching her lips to accommodate his length.  Once he was satisfied that his shaft was wet enough, he went back to fucking her tits.

The combination of visual stimulation and physical pleasure soon had him approaching his peak.  He thrust himself between her breasts frantically, unable to stop himself.

“Tonks, I’m gonna come,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Come between my tits!” she responded immediately, pushing her breasts even tighter around his cock. “Shoot your cum all over me, Harry!”

It didn’t take long to do as she asked.  Hips jerking frantically, he unleashed stream after stream of pearly white cum all over her chest, neck, and face.  She giggled as drops landed on her lips and cheeks.

When he was spent it took all his energy not to collapse on top of her.  He held on to the headboard for balance, admiring the view below him.

“I always forget how much you come,” Tonks remarked, looking down at his seed decorating her chest.

“Sorry,” Harry muttered.

“Don’t be,” she said. “I like it, makes me feel sexy.”

“You’re incredibly sexy,” he told her fervently. “D’you need your wand to get cleaned up?”

“Later,” she replied. “Right now, I’m really turned on and I wouldn’t mind a hand, if you’re up for it?”

Harry was more than up for it, and he leapt eagerly to the task.  After the display she’d put on for him, he was looking forward to paying her back.  He immediately slid down her body, too excited to tease her like he usually did, and found her already as wet as if she’d had an orgasm.  This, plus the fact that she was apparently going to wear his cum while he ate her out, was one of the sexiest things Harry had ever seen.

He brought her to two quivering orgasms before she made him stop.  He’d have happily stayed between her legs all morning, but she pointed out that they had places to go, and she didn’t want to be totally worn out this early.

“So tell me what you thought of that?” Tonks asked, waving her wand over herself and making the remnants of his orgasm disappear.

“It was incredible,” he said, unable to take his eyes off her breasts. “You sure you’re okay doing it?”

“I told you, Harry, I think it’s really sexy,” she said patiently. “Something about your cock sliding between my tits just gets me incredibly hot.  As long as you don’t ask me to keep them this size all the time, I don’t mind doing this if the mood strikes.”

“I promise I won’t bug you to do it again if you don’t want to,” Harry said. “Whenever you feel like, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you, Harry.  One last look for the road?”

He happily took in another eyeful of her breasts before she shrank them back to their normal size. 

“You’ve seen them like this plenty of times,” she observed when he continued to stare. “No need to flatter me or anything.”

“You can’t blame me, they’re still perfect,” he responded.

Tonks blushed, but seemed rather pleased as she stood up to get dressed.  They were due at Andromeda’s at ten, which gave them just enough time for a quick breakfast before leaving.  However, as they were exiting the bedroom, Tonks stopped dead in the entry to the living room, causing Harry to collide with her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, trying to peer over her shoulder.

“What’s that?” she asked, pointing at the little Christmas tree they’d set up in a corner.

Harry finally got a look around her and saw the long, thin package leaning against the wall next to the tree. “Oh, that’s your Christmas present.  Hope you don’t mind, I had Kreacher sneak it in here last night so you wouldn’t notice.”

Tonks didn’t take her eyes off the parcel. “That looks like a broom.  Harry, tell me you didn’t get me a broom?”

“It might not be,” he hedged. “I could’ve gotten you a coat rack.  A very short coat rack.”

“Oh my God, you got me a broom!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands over her mouth. “I can’t believe it, what kind is it?”

“Why don’t you go open it and find out?” Harry said with a grin.

With a squeal of excitement, she tore off across the room, sending an end table flying in her eagerness.  In moments she had demolished the wrapping paper and revealed a brand-new Nimbus Two Thousand and Two, the latest model.

“I hope you don’t mind it’s not a Firebolt,” Harry said, having taken up a seat on the edge of the couch to watch her. “They’re a little out of my price range to be honest.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” she said breathlessly, turning over the broom to examine it from every angle. “How on earth could I mind, this is an incredible broom!  You know I rode a Two Thousand once, it was like I was just gliding on air, I couldn’t even tell I was on a broom!  This is…!”

Abruptly her face crumpled, happiness giving way to disappointment, and she set the broom down delicately on the ground.

“What?” Harry said in alarm. “Is there something wrong with it?  Because I can get it exchanged if there’s a flaw.” He started to get up to take a closer look.

“There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s perfect,” Tonks said miserably.  Harry sank back onto the sofa, relieved he hadn’t bought her a faulty broom, but confused about her reaction. “Harry, I can’t accept this, it must have cost a fortune.  How much did this set you back?”

“I may not know much about gift giving etiquette, but I know you’re not supposed to tell someone how much you spent on them,” Harry said.

“But this is an international standard racing broom!” she said, still looking longingly at it. “This is like, I dunno, a really expensive car or something.  How could you possibly afford it on what we make at the Ministry?”

“Oh yeah, I guess we never talked about this,” Harry said, relieved to clear up the confusion. “I inherited some money from my parents.  Sirius too after he died.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “You inherited enough money to buy one of the best brooms in the world like it’s nothing?”

“Well it’s not like I’m giving them out to everyone this year,” he replied defensively. “But seeing as it’s our first Christmas together, I thought I’d do something special.”

Tonks snorted, looking back at the Nimbus. “Now you’re making me feel self-conscious.  My idea of special is making my boobs bigger.  Your idea is the most extravagant gift I’ve ever gotten.”

“I think I got the better present,” he said honestly.

“Yeah of course you’d say that,” she muttered. “Look, are you sure, Harry?  Because I’d understand if you wanted to reconsider and do something smaller.”

But he could see the longing in her eyes as she said it.

“Not a chance,” he said confidently. “It’s yours and I’m not taking it back.”

“Well in that case.” She reached out tentatively and picked up the broom again, holding it like it was made of pure gold.  A broad, elated grin broke across her face. “I still can’t believe it, I never thought I’d get to have a broom like this.  Thank you, Harry!”

And, still holding her new Nimbus, she shuffled over and kissed him deeply.

Pulling back she gave a happy little bounce. “I can’t wait to take it for a spin!  If only we didn’t have to see my mother today.”

“There’ll be plenty of time,” Harry assured her.

“Oh, you almost made me forget, I’ve got something else for you.” She turned to grabbed a small package under the tree and handed it to Harry. “It’s not much, especially after what you got me, but I figured we could have some fun with it.”

Intrigued, Harry unwrapped the little package.  Inside was a small booklet with the title ‘Whenever You Like.’ Flipping it open to the first page, he saw a removable card that read simply ‘Kiss.’ The next page held ‘Snoggging.’

“It’s an idea I got from a Muggle magazine,” Tonks explained as he continued to scan through the booklet. “They’re coupons, see?   You give can turn in any of these to me, and we’ll do whatever the coupon says.”

The little slips of paper became increasingly intense as he flipped through the book.  There were several ‘coupons’ for blowjobs and handjobs, along with one for titfucking.  There were also various positions or locations for sex, some as simple as the bedroom, others as daring as hallway sex.  A few were just playful, like flashing, or teasing.  The very last one was vaguely titled ‘Anything.’

“So I just give these to you, whenever I feel like?” Harry asked, looking up at Tonks.

“Exactly!” she said brightly. “I thought that could be fun for you, getting to decide when we do it.”

“You mean if I hand you this,” he held up the blowjob page, “in the middle of dinner tonight, you’d actually do it?”

“Well I’d probably make some excuse to get you away from everyone,” she said with a playful smile. “Unless the Weasleys are way kinkier than I thought.”

“I suppose at some point I should get used to you surprising me,” Harry said wryly, looking through the book again.  His imagination was running wild with ways he probably shouldn’t take advantage of this gift. “Not sure I get what you mean with this one,” he said, showing her the ‘Anything’ card.

“I thought that was pretty straightforward,” Tonks replied. “You turn in that one, and you can do anything you want to me.”

“Anything at all?” he asked dubiously.

“Anything,” she confirmed, looking him straight in the eye.

Harry looked down at the coupons nervously.  He knew exactly the kinds of things men had wanted from Tonks in the past, and it wasn’t hard to imagine how much trust it had required for her to give him this.

“Thank you, Tonks,” he said earnestly. “This is honestly amazing.”

She smiled. “You’re welcome.  Any you want to get started with?”

He chuckled. “Quite a few, but we should probably get going.”

Tonks made a face. “Oh, if you’re sure.” She stood, still holding her new broom and looking around. “Where should I put this?  I don’t want anything to happen to it.  Maybe I should bring it with me?”

“Tonks, love,” he said gently. “You’re an Auror.  You’ve got more protection set up around this place than your average bank.  I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Tonks blushed. “Yeah, you’re right.  It should be fine.”  Nevertheless she looked nervous as she laid it gently on the sofa.  She hesitated as they made to leave the flat.

“I promise, it’ll be there when we get back,” Harry said, steering her out of the apartment. “And if it’s not, I’ll get you another one.”

She looked up at him suspiciously. “Exactly how rich are you, Harry?” He quoted her a number and her eyes widened. “You know, I think you’re paying for meals from now on.”

 ***

Christmas tea with Anrdomeda was quiet and uneventful.  She didn’t show any signs of irritation or hostility towards Harry and actually smiled a few times.  Tonks had been unable to think of anything to get her mother, so Harry suggested donating to the War Victim’s Fund instead.  Andromeda was taken aback by this, but appeared more than happy with the gesture.

They left for the Burrow in high spirits, although Tonks became increasingly nervous as they walked up the path to the tilted Weasley residence.  They paused at the kitchen door before entering, each wrapped up in their own thoughts.  Harry was just now realizing that this would be the first time he’d properly brought a girl home to meet his surrogate family, and he wasn’t at all sure how it would go.

Seeing that Tonks was fidgeting as well, he reached out and took her hand.  She smiled gratefully at him, but he could see the anxiety running across her features as well.

“Hey, it’ll be alright,” he said reassuringly. “They’ve always like you, that’s not gonna change.”

“Let’s hope you’re right.” She raised a hand and knocked.  A moment later, the door opened and they were greeted by Mrs. Weasley, who promptly let out a shriek and wrapped an arm around each of their necks, pulling them into a shockingly tight hug.

“Harry, Tonks!  It’s so good to see you both!” she exclaimed. “I’m so glad you could make it, come, come!”

Letting go of them, she ushered them into the kitchens, Tonks giving Harry a bemused glance as they passed her.

“Well I don’t think she’s upset, but it’s hard to tell,” he deadpanned, causing her to chuckle reluctantly.

“Everyone, Harry and Tonks are here!” Mrs. Weasley called.  George and Arthur were already in the kitchen, and stood to greet them, but the rest of the family seemed dispersed throughout the house, no doubt enjoying their presents.

“Harry, Tonks, how are you?” Arthur said genially, shaking their hands. “I understand congratulations are in order?  You passed your qualifications last week?”

“Yeah, I did, thanks Mr. Weasley,” Harry said, grinning.

“Youngest Auror since Moody,” Tonks interjected proudly.

“You certainly deserve it,” Arthur said. “Any luck catching Alberton?”

“None yet, but we’ve got some leads” Harry said. “Thanks again for your help with that alley.”

“Anytime, anytime,” Mr. Weasley said happily. “I’ve had very few chances to examine Muggle weapons in that detail, it was quite fascinating.” He lowered his voice slightly. “I tried to convince Molly to let me purchase one, just out of curiosity, but she wouldn’t let me.”

“I’ll see if I can find more cases with crazy Muggle traps for you,” Harry replied.

“If you could that would be wonderful!” Mr. Weasley said enthusiastically.  At that moment Mrs. Weasley called him over to help prepare dinner and he bustled away hurriedly.  George moved to take his place.

“Good to see you two again,” the Weasley twin said. “Those clothes fitting you alright, Tonks?”

“Yeah they are, I’m actually wearing them now!” she said happily. “Thanks again, you’ve got no idea how hard it is to find clothes than change size like that.  Especially Muggle ones.”

“I can imagine,” George said with a grin. “If you don’t mind, I was wondering if you could give a demonstration?  I’ve never had the chance to see how they do close up.  It’d be a real help for the next line.”

Tonks looked surprised but said, “Sure, no problem.  Just keep your hands where I can see them.”

George chuckled. “Between you and Harry I doubt there’d be much left of me if I tried anything.”

He had Tonks perform a variety of changes to see how well the clothes accommodated different shifts in size and weight, examining seams closely between each alteration.  Charlie wandered into the kitchen in the middle of this, and Harry turned to greet him, not having seen him since the Battle.

“How’ve you been, Harry?” Charlie said, shaking his hand enthusiastically.

“Can’t complain, how about you?” Harry asked. “Dragons treating you alright?”

“Way better than Death Eaters ever did,” the burly Weasley replied with a grin before glancing towards Tonks, who was now over six feet tall. “So, you and Tonks then?  How’s that going?”

“It’s been brilliant.  Never met anyone like her.”

“I actually knew her at Hogwarts,” Charlie said, his voice studiously casual. “I was a year ahead.”

“Were you two friends?” Harry asked cautiously.  Something in Charlie’s tone made him wary, but Tonks would have told him if they had a history.  Unless Charlie had never openly expressed his interest…

“Not really,” Charlie said with a shrug. “Just saw each other here and there, that sort of thing.”

At that moment, George finished his examination, and Tonks came over to rejoin Harry. “Wotcher, Charlie,” she said, and there was a downright evil look in her eyes as she greeted him.

“Hi Tonks,” Charlie said with what looked like a rather forced smile. “Been a while.”

“Ages,” Tonks confirmed, smirking. Harry had only ever seen her this mischievously excited on a couple occasions. “We’ll have to catch up, chat about old times.”

Charlie seemed to turn a bit pale. “Sure thing.  Listen, I’ve just remembered I forgot something upstairs, I’ll be right back.” And he beat a rather hasty retreat from the kitchen.

Harry turned to Tonks, who was still looking delighted in a sinister sort of way. “Okay, spill, how’d you two know each other?”

“Patience, Harry, all in good time,” she said.

“It’s not anything bad is it?” Harry asked, thinking of the numerous stories she’d told about Hogwarts boys, and praying that Charlie hadn’t been one of them.

“Not at all,” she assured him. “Well, it wasn’t for me,” she amended. “We’ll see what he thinks.”

Harry was burning to ask more questions, but he was interrupted by the arrival of Bill.  Another round of greetings ensued, and Harry realized, with a family the size of the Weasleys, they might be doing this until dessert.

“No Fleur today?” Harry asked Bill curiously, noting the absence of his wife.

“She’s here, she’s just lying down,” Bill said. “Pregnancy’s not agreeing with her.”

“When’s she due?” Tonks asked.

“End of April, start of May.”

“That’s a lot of time to not enjoy being pregnant,” Tonks observed.

“Yeah, I know,” Bill said wearily.  Then something seemed to occur to him. “Oh, by the way, I wanted to chat with you guys about your case.”

“Yeah, Arthur was just asking about it too,” Tonks said. “Seems everyone’s fascinated.”

“I wasn’t curious, actually, I had some information I thought’d be useful,” Bill said. “Dad mentioned you were looking at Alberton’s friends.  Well me and him were only a year apart.”

Tonks looked sharply at Harry. “That probably should have occurred to us.”

“Yeah,” Harry mumbled, feeling stupid.

“It’s not like we were mates or anything,” Bill assured them. “But since he was a prefect in the year behind me, we got to know each other a bit.”

“Did he strike you as the sort to do this kind of thing?” Tonks asked.

“Honestly, yeah,” Bill said. “It seemed like he kept it down around the teachers, but he had a serious ego.  He was always bragging about something or other with his family.  And he had a real thing for poor people – couldn’t stand anyone who needed government assistance.  You can imagine how old that got.”

“Do you remember his friends or people he hung out with?”

“Yeah I’ve got a couple names.” Bill spent a couple minutes going over the list with them.

“Thank, Bill, this was a huge help!” Tonks said.

At that moment, Harry felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Ginny, who had entered the kitchen without him noticing. 

“Oh my God, Ginny, what happened to you?!” he exclaimed.  Her right arm was resting in a sling, and the entire side of her face was covered in bruises.

“It’s a long story,” she said with a sigh.

“Are you okay, did you get attacked?”

“You could say that,” she said evasively. “It’s not a big deal, honestly, it looks worse than it is.  There was a little accident at the exhibition match with the Magpies yesterday.”

“Did you fall off your broom?” Harry pressed, ignoring this. “Because there’s no way a single Bludger would have done this much damage.”

"No it wasn't a Bludger," she hedged. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine."

"Come on, Ginny, you can't turn up here looking like  _that_ and not expect me to worry!"

“It was a niffler, alright!” Ginny exclaimed. “Someone snuck in a niffler, and at one point the Snitch got near the stands, and the thing went ballistic.”

“A niffler?” Harry repeated, completely baffled. “How on earth did a niffler do all this to you?”

“Well,” she demurred, “the Snitch might’ve been near my arm when the niffler spotted it.  It sort of, leapt out of the stands and latched onto me.  I wasn’t expecting it, and I crashed into the goalpost.”

“You’re serious, you really got attacked by a niffler?” Harry felt a grin spread across his face.

“Yeah, laugh it up,” Ginny said in exasperation. “Goodness knows the _Prophet_ is.  It’ll probably be on the front page tomorrow.  You know we had to shake the damn thing for five minutes before we were sure it hadn’t gotten the Snitch?”

“Now you’ve gotta be careful, Gin,” Harry said, struggling to keep a straight face. “Niffler’s are vicious, you know.  I mean the Ministry ranks them, what, a level two?”

“They’re level three and you know it!” she snapped.

“So that means a _competent_ wizard should have no trouble with them.  I wonder what that says…”

She groaned. “I’m never living this down.”

“Definitely not once Ron hears about this,” Harry confirmed.

“I swear once my wand arm is back to normal…” She seemed to pull herself out of fantasies of what she’d do to Ron. “Anyway, I wanted to chat with you and Tonks if you’ve got a minute.”

Harry’s good humor started to slip. “You want to chat with us?”

“In private,” she said firmly. “D’you mind?”

“Oh, um, sure.” Harry motioned to Tonks, who was filling Arthur in on the latest in the Alberton case.  She extricated herself from Mr. Weasley and came to join Harry and Ginny.

“Hey, Ginny, how are you?” she said, and Harry was sure only he noticed her nervousness.

Ginny smiled at Harry’s new girlfriend. “I’m good, Tonks, I just wanted to talk with you and Harry for a minute.”

Tonks exchanged a look of surprise with Harry. “Sure, no problem.”

They moved into the comparatively quiet living room.  Ginny faced them squarely, the sling and bruises making her look far more serious than usual.

“I thought we should clear the air, while we’ve got the chance,” Ginny said. “Once Celestina comes on, we’ll never be able to get away.”

Harry and Tonks looked at each other again. “We weren’t sure if you’d want to talk,” Harry admitted to Ginny.

“Well I do, so come on,” she responded firmly.

Tonks stepped forward slightly. “Look, I know this is probably a little weird…”

“Only if we make it,” Ginny countered looking between them. “That’s why I wanted to talk.  You two are some of my best friends, and even though you’re together now, I don’t want that to change.”

“Neither do I,” Tonks said, shifting uncomfortably. “But we can’t just pretend that nothing’s different.”

“I know things are,” Ginny allowed. “But that’s still no reason we can’t all still get along just fine.”

“Even though…well, you know?”

“Why don’t we just stop dancing around it,” Ginny said impatiently. “Harry slept with me, now he’s sleeping with you.  The only people in this room who haven’t seen each other naked are you and me.  Now if that’s really an issue for you, I’m sorry but I don’t swing that way.”

Her expression had turned playful, but Tonks still looked worried. “And you don’t think that’ll be awkward.  You were each other’s firsts, after all.”

“Firsts aren’t all they’re cracked up to be,” Ginny replied easily. “No offense, Harry, but I’ve had much better sex since we’ve broken up, and I’m guessing you have too.”

“None taken,” Harry said with a smile. “And yeah, that’s definitely true.”

“So what’s the problem?” Ginny said. “Seems like we’re all moving on just fine.”

Tonks looked surprised. “You’re sure you don’t mind?  I know you and Harry agreed on the break up, but still, I don’t want to shove the whole thing in your face.”

“You’re not shoving anything in my face,” Ginny said patiently. “I want you two to be happy, and I’m not going to begrudge you being happy together.”

“I told you she’d be fine,” Harry said to Tonks.

Ginny arched an eyebrow at Tonks. “What, you thought I was going to hate you or something?”

“Not exactly,” Tonks hedged. “I was just worried.”

“Worried about what?  We’re all adults here, I didn’t think Harry would be celibate the rest of his life.  Sooner or later he was going to bring someone else home.”

“Yeah but I’m not just some random girl,” Tonks said. “We’re friends, we’ve got history, I thought maybe it’d be strange.”

“Better you than some brainless fan girl,” Ginny said with a shudder. “I don’t think I could’ve handled that.”

“Hey!” Harry said. “I’ve got better taste than that.”

Ginny gave him a disparaging glance. “Cho Chang?”

“She wasn’t a fan girl,” Harry protested.

“Don’t be silly, Harry, of course she was.” Ginny turned back to Tonks before Harry could reply. “Anyway, I just wanted to make sure we’re all on the same page.  Everything good?”

Tonks nodded, a happy smile spreading across her face. “Of course.  This is honestly a huge relief, Ginny.  I haven’t got a lot of female friends, I didn’t want to lose one,” she admitted with some hesitation.

“Hey, we were friends before Harry and I dated.  I’ll be done with him before I let you get away.” Ginny reached up and pulled the other woman into a quick, one armed hug.

“Same goes for you,” Tonks muttered, pulling back and brushing at her eyes. “I’ll be right back, I’ve gotta run to the loo,” she said abruptly, rushing past Harry, who watched her go with some bemusement.

“Thanks for that, it really means a lot to her,” he said to Ginny. “You sure you’re okay with this?”

“Took me a bit to wrap my head around,” Ginny admitted. “I mean, she’s a bit older than you.  But then I figured none of us are really our ages, not after what we’ve been through.”

“I said something similar to her.”

“Anyway, like I said, I just want you both to be happy, and if you’re happy with her…”

“I am,” Harry assured her, “I really am.”

“Then that’s more than enough for me,” Ginny said with an air of finality. “And I’m guessing you’ll be staying with the Aurors?”

“Yeah I will.  Not that I don’t appreciate your offer,” he hurried to add. “But I don’t think flying is for me.”

“Well it was worth a shot,” Ginny shrugged. “I suppose the country’ll be a lot safer with Auror Potter around.”

“Oh shut it,” Harry said playfully.  Tonks reappeared at that moment, looking composed, although a little red around the eyes.

“We should probably get back to the others,” she suggested. “Don’t want anyone missing us.”

As they made to reenter the kitchen, Tonks looked quizzically at Ginny.

“What happened to you anyway?” she asked.

Ginny sighed. “Ask Harry, he’ll tell you.”

 ***

The rest of Christmas passed happily.  Ron and Hermione arrived soon after Harry and Tonks, and they all sat down to a magnificent dinner, courtesy of Mrs. Weasley.  Tonks attracted some attention at the beginning for the amount of food she took.  Harry supposed she must be especially hungry after changing size so much for George.

“Blimey, Tonks, you eat as much as Ron,” observed Bill, who was sitting right next to her.  Ron flicked a sprout at his eldest brother in irritation.

“It’s my abilities,” Tonks said, blushing. “Takes a lot of energy to change my shape, I get hungry easily.”

“Oh my goodness, I should have realized that!” Hermione exclaimed. “We’ve been taking you and Harry to the stingiest places, you must have been starving.”

“It’s been fine, Hermione, honestly,” Tonks assured her. “I usually need a snack before bed anyway.”

“Still, we’ll find someplace better next time,” and she put her head down with Ron and immediately started brainstorming new restaurants to take Harry and Tonks, her dinner completely forgotten.

 Fleur joined them midway through, and Bill was right, it didn’t look like pregnancy agreed with her.  She was starting to show, but her usually glowing skin seemed a bit pallid, and her hair was less floaty.  Bill stroked the back of her neck comfortingly, and Fleur gave him a grateful smile.

“Are you feeling alright, dear?” Mrs. Weasley asked, a look of concern on her face.

“I’m fine, thank you, Molly,” Fleur said gamely. “The baby is a little upset today.”

“I don’t think I’ve said it yet, but congratulations Fleur!” Tonks said kindly.

“Thank you, Tonks,” Fleur said. “And to you as well.”

“To me, what for?” Tonks asked in confusion.

“Well you and ‘Arry of course,” Fleur replied. “I am very ‘appy for the both of you.”

And without warning, she burst into tears and fled from the room.  Everyone stopped eating and looked at Bill in alarm.

He sighed, rubbing tired eyes. “She’s just a bit emotional these days, it’s not a big deal.”

“Poor thing,” Mrs. Weasley said. “I remember when I was pregnant with Percy I couldn’t eat anything for months.” She then launched into a rather alarming list of the various ills she’d suffered while pregnant.

 

After dinner they went into the living room to exchange gifts.  Fleur rejoined them, still looking watery eyed, but she put on a good face for the rest of them.  Her lips only shook a little when she unwrapped Harry and Tonks’s gift, a dress from George’s shop that would adjust size during her pregnancy, allowing her to wear it no matter what.

They hadn’t managed to find anything at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes for Ron however, and resorted to season tickets to Cannon’s games.  Ron was thrilled by this, but Hermione gave an exasperated look, undoubtedly not thrilled about the numerous Quidditch games that were now in her future.

Mr. Weasley received a Muggle motion detector, Harry having gotten the idea from Alberton, and Mrs. Weasley a set of self-cleaning pots and pans.  When Charlie unwrapped his scarf with a Venomous Tentacula embroidered on the front, his face dissolved into a look of despair.

Harry, who had forgotten about the scarf, turned to Tonks and said, “Okay, you _have_ to tell me what this is about.”

“Yeah, I’m a bit curious too,” Ron said.  Clearly whatever this was, none of the other Weasleys were in on the joke.

Tonks smiled wickedly at Charlie. “You mind me telling the story?”

“Fine,” Charlie said resignedly. “But only if I get to tell them about tryouts.”

“Deal!” she said immediately, and turned to the rest of the Weasleys. “So when I was sixteen, Charlie had a huge crush on my friend Anna.  He was always hanging around our table, or coming by on breaks and trying to chat her up.  But let’s just say Charlie’s not the smoothest talker around.”

A round of snickers broke out at this.  Hermione turned to Ron and said, “Apparently it’s a family trait.” He gave her a wounded look.

“Well one day, Charlie comes round at lunch, and he’s got this huge mark on the side of his neck.  Hold on a second, let me see if I can recreate it.” Tonks squeezed her eyes shut and a large, inflamed looking rash sprung up on her neck.

“Wait a moment,” Hermione said, peering closely at it, “That looks like-”

“A Venomous Tentacula bite!” Tonks said delightedly. “I guess he’d been bitten in Herbology that morning.  Here’s the thing though; apparently he thought it’d be cool to pretend it was a hickey, and make Anna think he was some sort of ladies man!”

The Weasleys roared with laughter, all but Charlie, whose face was beet red. “It would’ve worked too, if you hadn’t spoken up.”

“Anna wasn’t exactly the most worldly girl,” Tonks confirmed. “Not to mention she’d dropped Herbology after O.W.L.s.  But I’ve seen a hickey or two in my day, and I knew right away what it was.  I thought about saying something, but I decided to have a little fun.  So I stood up, pointed at him, and screamed as loud as I could ‘You’ve got dragon pox!’  I’ve never seen the Hall clear that fast!”

There was another round of laughter, over which, George’s astonished cry could be heard. “So that was you?!  Everyone was freaking out, Fred and I couldn’t see what was going on.”

“That was me!” Tonks said happily. “Anyway, Charlie ended up quarantined in the Great Hall until Madam Pomfrey could come have a look at him, I got detention for inciting a panic or something, and Anna ran away every time Charlie came near her.”

There was a round of mock applause, and Tonks stood to give a bow. “A deal’s a deal,” she said to Charlie as she sat back down. “You can tell them about tryouts.”

“I’m guessing it’s not going to be nearly as embarrassing for you as that was for me,” Charlie observed. “That was what, my fifth year, your fourth?  Hufflepuff had a new Quidditch Captain, and he wanted some help with his team’s tryouts.  We were mates so I offered to give him my advice.  About halfway through the Chaser portion, this girl comes out with the longest arms I’ve ever seen.”

“Why in the world would you make your arms longer?” Harry asked Tonks.

“I thought it’d make catching the Quaffle easier,” she said with no hint of shame.

“Well it definitely didn’t,” Charlie said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone drop the Quaffle that many times in two minutes.  To top it all off, she somehow managed to collide with both Beaters and crash into the stands.  Everyone ended up the Hospital Wing, and tryouts were delayed a week so they could recover.”

Tonks joined in the Weasley’s laughter, seemingly quite at ease with the story.

“I don’t get it though,” Harry said. “I thought you were a good flyer?”

“That took a lot of practice,” Tonks responded. “Mad-Eye nearly had a heart attack the first time he saw me on a broom.  Made me fly every day for a year until he was happy.  He said I never knew when I might get attacked on a broom.  I thought he was crazy, but thank God he did.”

Conversation flowed freely after that; even Charlie seemed ruefully amused at the recollection.  George found his way over to Tonks after a while and interrogated her about other pranks she’d pulled over the years, looking more animated than Harry had seem him in quite some time.

It was late when Harry and Tonks left the Burrow.  They stood in the cold December air, looking out across the dark, snow covered garden.

“Well, shall we get home then?” Tonks asked.

Harry didn’t answer, wrestling with himself for a moment.  Before he could chicken out he said, “Do you mind if we make a quick stop first?”

Tonks looked at him in surprise. “Where’re you looking to go at this time of night?”

“I’ll explain once we get there,” Harry said evasively.

Tonks continued to look confused but said, “Alright then.”

Taking her hand, Harry guided her into the constricting nothingness of Disapparation.  When they opened their eyes, they were standing in the middle of a deserted lane in a small village.  Tonks looked around curiously.

“It’s just this way,” Harry said, pointing to a church at the end of the lane.

“Wait a second, is this Godric’s Hollow?” Tonks asked.

“Yeah,” Harry said, studiously avoiding her gaze.

He waited for the barrage of questions likely to follow, but Tonks didn’t say anything, allowing him to lead her around the back of the church, and into the little graveyard.  Despite having only been here twice, he remembered exactly where his parents’ graves were.

As they stood there, looking down at where his parents were buried, he again expected Tonks to ask why they were there, but she continued to stand with her hand in his, uncharacteristically silent.  And Harry found that he was compelled to begin talking, to give some small outlet for the many strange emotions running through him.

“Hermione and I came here two years ago,” he began, “when we were on the run, looking for Horcruxes.  We thought maybe Bathilda Bagshot could help us, but we stopped here first because I’d never been to my parents’ graves before.  I came back last year too, just me.”

He could feel Tonks’s gaze, but didn’t take his eyes off the tombstones.

“I always wondered about that.  I never expected my aunt and uncle to take me here, they hated my parents, but I thought maybe Dumbledore or Sirius would’ve.” Thinking about the two of them made Harry’s eyes sting, but he kept talking.  It felt suddenly important that he share this with Tonks.

“I imagine Sirius might have, if he’d had the chance, but he was always so focused on keeping me alive.  We never got the chance to talk – about my parents, or normal stuff like school and life.  Same with Dumbledore; it was always about prophecies and Horcruxes.  Nothing else ever seemed to matter.”

Harry swallowed against the lump rising in his throat. “I just – spent my whole life being told I was either worthless or the most important person in the world.  Even people who did care about me as more than just the Boy Who Lived or the Chosen One, like Ron and Hermione or even Mrs. Weasley didn’t seem to know what to do about it.” He looked at Tonks, whose eyes were shining. “You’re the only person I’ve met who actually seems to get me, you know?  You gave a damn about whether I was happy or not, and you did something about it.”

Tonks’s face became too blurry for him to distinguish properly, and he looked back at the grave, feeling self-conscious.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to unload on you like that.  I just wanted you to know how much that means to me.  I can’t remember getting to just be myself with someone.”

A warm hand cupped the side of his face and turned his head gently.  Through a glaze of unshed tears, he saw Tonks gazing at him with a mixture of sympathy, compassion, and above all, love.

She drew him down to kiss him once, lightly on the mouth, then wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.  He held her as tightly as he ever had, more grateful than he could describe to have her with him.

When they drew back, her eyes were sparkling with tears as well, letting him know that she understood everything he’d said, and more importantly, everything he hadn’t.

“Thank you for bringing me here, Harry,” she said softly.

“Thanks for coming with me,” he said with a smile.  As with every time he shared something difficult with Tonks, he felt just a bit lighter, as if she was helping him carry the weight.

Before they left, he conjured a wreath of white roses and laid them gently over his parents’ resting place.

 ***

The night’s adventures weren’t quite over yet however.  They returned to Tonks’s flat without any incident.  Harry was exhausted, but more than a little pleased with how the day had gone.  Looking forward to a few days of blissful rest and relaxation, he started to head for the bedroom.

“Wait just a second,” Tonks said, stopping him before he could go in. “I’ve got one last present for you.”

“You honestly don’t have to give me anything else,” Harry said.

“I know, but like you said, this is our first Christmas together.  I wanted it to be special too.  Just wait here, alright?” Harry did as she asked, and she disappeared into the bedroom.

Harry sank onto one of the bar stools next to the kitchen counter, yawning and wondering what else Tonks had in store for him.  He wasn’t sure he’d be much use to her at the moment, but as usual, she surprised him.

When she emerged, she was carrying a large cage.  Inside rested a majestic grey owl with a round face and amber colored eyes.

“This is Artemis,” Tonks said, setting the owl on the counter in front of Harry.  She stood back, wringing her hands and looking more than a little anxious. “Now before you say anything, I know that you couldn’t possibly replace Hedwig, and that’s not what this is about.  I just thought it might not be bad to have another friend.  More than that too, I mean owls are really convenient, you don’t have to pay for one of the post owls.  Of course if you don’t want her, I have a couple friends who need new owls, I’m sure they’d be happy to take her.”

Harry barely registered a word of this.  He stared, slightly open mouthed at the grey owl sitting in front of him.  Artemis looked back at him steadily.

“Are…are you alright with this?” Tonks asked hesitantly.

“You got me an owl?” Harry said numbly.

“Well, yeah.  But like I said, only if you want her.”

Harry reached out with a shaking hand and unlatched the cage door.  Artemis stepped out, her head swiveling to examine the kitchen before looking back at Harry.  He held up a hand uncertainly, and she nipped his finger affectionately in almost the exact way Hedwig used to do.  Tears welled in Harry’s eyes again, and he patted her gently on the head.

“So, you like her?” Tonks asked again, still concerned.

“Of course!” Harry said, unable to look away from Artemis. “Thank you Tonks, this is really…well just thank you.”

He forced himself to turn and look at his girlfriend. “I can’t imagine how I’m lucky enough to have you.”

Tonks blushed happily. “I still think I got the better end of the bargain.” She moved forward to hug him. “Happy Christmas, Harry.”

“Happy Christmas, Tonks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so to be honest I'm not sure what I think about this chapter. I liked it a lot when I first wrote it, but now I'm not so sure. For some reason it feels a bit stilted or sappy. Let me know what you all think!


	17. Holidays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, we've got a quick chapter today. This one is just pure smut, approximately no plot included, with the only exception being Harry moving in with Tonks. If that's not of interest, feel free to skip, I'll have a new, plot heavy chapter up tomorrow. Otherwise, enjoy!

Harry moved in with Tonks the next day.

This wasn’t a very dramatic decision; Tonks simply pointed out that he rarely stayed at his own apartment anymore, and asked if he’d rather just move in and make it official.  It took Harry less than a second to agree; Tonks’s flat already felt much more like home than his place ever had.  Quite apart from liking her decorating sense more than his own, he was less and less interested in sleeping on his own anymore.  When his nightmares, although less frequent than they used to be, inevitably woke him in the night, Tonks was always there to talk to him or simply hold him until he was able to drift back to sleep.

So, with Kreacher’s help they relocated the few things he actually wanted to hold onto, clothes, personal effects, and a couple small pieces of furniture, and simply sold the rest.  Of course, Tonks insisted on saying farewell to the old place by having Harry shag her against the window one last time.  But by the time evening rolled around, Harry was now officially living with Tonks.

“How come you have so few things?” Tonks asked as they unpacked the only two boxes he’d needed to carry everything that wasn’t clothing.

“I had to travel light during the war,” Harry explained, setting his photo album on a shelf in the living room. “Only brought a couple things with me.”

“And you didn’t buy anything after?”

Harry shrugged. “Never seemed that important.  I didn’t spend much time at that place anyway.  Makes this easier though, right?”

“Yeah, I just feel a bit guilty,” Tonks admitted, placing his Sneakescope on the coffee table. “I’ve got all this stuff here, and you hardly have anything.  Doesn’t feel fair.”

“Don’t worry, I like your stuff a lot better than mine,” Harry reassured her. “I never knew what to put in that place anyway.  Now I don’t have to worry.”

He waved his wand and vanished the now empty packing boxes.  Shortly thereafter, Tonks had them christen his new home.  Harry pointed out that they’d already done this, but she asserted that was before he was an official resident, and that he needed a proper welcome.  This ended with Tonks on her hands and knees on the rug in front of the fire.

Unfortunately, the holiday wasn’t all pure relaxation, as Harry had originally hoped.  One morning found them awake much earlier than either of them would have preferred, and striding up the Ministry Atrium.

“Why’re we doing this again?” Harry asked grumpily as passed the security desk.

“I’ve already answered that question several times, I’m not going to again,” Tonks said with a hint of impatience.

“Yeah but I don’t need extra money,” he protested.

“Well I didn’t know that when I signed us up, now did I,” Tonks retorted. “Besides, _I_ do.”

They entered the lifts and Harry sank against the wall with a groan.

“Oh come on, it’s not that bad,” Tonks said crossly, although she was struggling not to yawn. “Most of the regular Aurors end up getting assigned a shift or two during vacation anyway, at least this way we got to pick the times.  Wouldn’t you rather get paired with me than Smith?”

“Okay that’s fair,” Harry admitted. “But we might not’ve.  I didn’t get pulled for any shifts last Christmas.”

“That’s because you were a recruit,” Tonks explained. “Kingsley doesn’t like relying on recruits for this sort of thing.  You’d have definitely gotten pulled in this year.  Now stop complaining.  It’s just the two of us, we’ve got the whole place to ourselves, it’ll be fun!”

And indeed they did have the whole place to themselves.  The Auror Offices were eerily quiet when they entered.  The only people present were Babberton and Langley, both looking extremely tired after pulling overnight shifts.  They gratefully departed for home, leaving Harry and Tonks completely alone.

“So…what should we do?” Harry asked, looking around the deserted cubicles.

“Well, we could race chairs up and down the aisles,” Tonks suggested. “Or we could rearrange all of Ron’s stuff.  Or, you could fuck me on your desk.”

She said this so casually, and Harry was still tired, so it took him several seconds to catch on to what he’d heard.

“Wait, what did you just say?” he asked incredulously. “You wanna have sex?  Here?”

“Why not?” she said with an impish grin. “There’s no one here, and we’ve got nothing else to do.  Why else did you think I wore a skirt today?  I hate skirts.”

“You said there’d be plenty for us to do,” Harry said accusingly. “You said it’d be fun.”

“I figured seeing how many ways I can make you come in a day would be very fun,” she said as though it were the most natural thing in the world. “But if you’re not interested, I guess we could read or something.” However, as she said this, she arched her back ever so slightly, drawing Harry’s attention to her suddenly prominent nipples poking against her shirt.

Harry narrowed his eyes, good sense starting to fade. “You sure we won’t get caught?”

“I mean you can never be _totally_ sure,” Tonks hedged. “But the cleaning staff only come through on Wednesdays during vacation, and no one’s coming to replace us until five, so…”

She trailed off suggestively.  Harry hesitated only a few moments longer.

“My desk you said?”

“Just at first,” she said, leading him through the maze of cubicles. “We’ll get to my desk later.”

She kissed him when they reached his little office space, chasing the last vestiges of sleepiness from his brain.

“Should I lift my shirt like this,” she asked, pulling it up above her breasts, “or just get rid of it entirely?”

A sudden boldness seized Harry.  If they were going to do this, they might as well go for broke. “I say just get rid of it.”

“You’re the boss,” she said cheekily, and she doffed the shirt, tossing it into a corner. “How about the skirt?”

Harry lifted the edges of the skirt, confirming that she was not wearing anything underneath. “Leave it on,” he decided. “You look sexy like that.”

“Glad you think so,” she said with a smile, hopping up onto his desk. “Now get over here!”

Harry fucked her frantically, but the excitement of the situation meant he finished before he was able to make Tonks come as well.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of time,” she told him as she used her wand to clean up the mess he’d made of her.

“I’m not sure how many more I have in me,” Harry said, breathing rather hard. “That was honestly really intense.”

“That’s why I brought this,” Tonks said, producing a little bottle of bright pink liquid.

“What’s that?” Harry asked, peering at the bottle.

“This is a fun little potion,” she said with a gleam in her eye. “For about twelve hours you’ll be able to keep going, no matter how many times you’ve come.  Like I said, I want to see how much I can get you off today.”

“Is it safe?” Harry asked warily, taking the little vial.

“Of course it’s safe, Harry,” she said, rolling her eyes. “What, you think I want to poison you again?  Perfectly common enhancement.  Only if you want to though.” But before she’d even finished speaking, Harry had uncorked the potion and drank it down in one.

Tonks made him come six times that day, far more than he thought he’d be able to manage, even with magical aid.  They did it twice more in Harry’s cubicle, once with her bent over his desk, and then with her sucking his cock in his chair.  Apparently just to make his heart jump, she made him come all over her breasts and left it there as they marched to her office, where he ate her out on her own desk, playing with her cum slick nipples as he did so.

After she’d had a few orgasms they took a break to recover a bit, during which time Harry fetched them lunch from the commissary.  Once they’d eaten, Tonks started getting creative.  Over Harry’s, admittedly feeble, protests she took him into the lobby and had him finger her right in front of the elevators.  He had to clap his hand over her mouth as she came to prevent the noise from echoing throughout the quiet space.

Harry then took her on the table in one of the little conference spaces, hoisting her knees onto his shoulders once more.  Once she’d recovered, she brought Harry into the library and had him sit at the table he’d used when studying for his qualifications.  Crawling under it, she began suckling on his cock.

“Imagine if I could have done this while you were working,” she said, looking lustfully up into his eyes. “I wanted to you know.  I got wet thinking about shoving your cock down my throat while you tried to focus.”

She got him so worked up that when he came, he held her head down on his cock.  Tonks didn’t complain, swallowing eagerly as he shot spurt after spurt of his seed into her mouth.

He ate her out some more after that, including once more on his desk.  To his surprise, it was almost five by the time he thought to look at a clock.  They dressed and cleaned up, making sure they hadn’t left any inadvertent messes in the office.  When the next couple Aurors showed up they did a good job of looking appropriately bored by the lack of activity.

“Okay, you were right, that was a lot of fun,” Harry admitted when they entered the lifts back to the Atrium.

Tonks smiled at him. “It’s not over yet either.  You’ve got your Cloak on you, right?”

“Yeah, of course,” Harry said, confused.

“Put it on us,” she said.

Not understanding, Harry took out the Cloak and draped it over the two of them just as the lift opened to the Atrium.  Tonks made herself extremely slender and clung to his side as they shuffled into the deserted space.  Even the security booth was empty, Frank probably out getting dinner or something.

“I don’t get it,” Harry whispered to her. “There’s no one here, why put the Cloak on?”

“Because I’m not done with you yet, Harry,” she whispered in his ear.  Her hand drifted down to his crotch and started massaging him through his jeans.

He looked at her in alarm. “Are you serious?  Here?!”

“Absolutely,” she breathed. “So many people might just walk by, but even if they did, they wouldn’t see anything.  They’ll have no idea what’s going as long as you keep quiet.”

“Tonks, I’m not sure…” Harry said uncertainly.

“If you want me to stop, I will,” she promised. “Just say the word.”

But despite his better judgement, he very much wanted her to continue.  He stood there, torn, as she continued rubbing his cock. “No,” he said eventually. “I don’t want you to stop.”

“Glad to hear it.”

She immediately unzipped him, showing surprising dexterity as she fished out his cock.  It was challenging to move very much without disturbing the Cloak and potentially revealing themselves, but she managed it.  He was again amazed how her clumsiness seemed to vanish when it came to everything sexual.

Despite everything they’d done together, Harry had received only a couple handjobs from Tonks, preferring her mouth or cunt usually.  He realized now that he’d been missing out.  Even in the confines of the cloak, she displayed remarkable technique, seeming to know instinctively just how to stroke and squeeze him to maximize his pleasure.

“You’ve gotta admit this is hot, Harry,” she whispered to him. “Me stroking your dick right in the middle of the Atrium here.  Can you imagine what people would say if they knew about this?”

He groaned, helpless under her ministrations.  He wanted desperately to buck into her hands, but the nature of their positioning made it impossible.

“Every time you walk through here now, you’re gonna think about how I jerked you off right in the middle of the Atrium.” Her voice was low and heated. “You won’t be able to look at this place without remembering how hard I made you come.”

Her hand sped up, riding the perfect balance of friction without hurting him.  He looked over into her flushed face, and her intense eyes.  He’d honestly never imagined that anything like this would ever happen to him, even knowing some of Tonks’s proclivities.

“You getting close, Harry?” she asked breathlessly. “You want me to make you come?”

Unable to speak, he nodded, feeling his cock start to pulse in her hand.  In that moment, Tonks did several things that defied his ability to process.  She moved so that she was facing him, and he had the presence of mind to keep the Cloak wrapped tightly around them.  At the same time she seemed to shrink several inches, so she was more than a foot shorter than him.  Finally, she lifted up her shirt with her free hand, exposing her breasts again.

Before Harry could figure out what all she was doing, he exploded between her fingers.  She was so close to him that his cock was pointing almost directly upward, and his cum hit her chest for the second time that day.  Tonks didn’t stop, continuing to jerk him frantically until he’d completely emptied himself on her breasts and stomach, one shot even hitting the bottom of her chin.

Harry struggled to stay standing as she tucked him gently back into his pants.  He couldn’t look at anything but the gorgeous, cum covered woman in front of him.

Briskly, Tonks pulled her shirt down over her chest again, not bothering to clean herself up, with the result that several damp spots immediately spread across the fabric.

“We should probably get back before you collapse,” she suggested with a twinkle in her eye.

“Aren’t you going to get cleaned up?” Harry asked, dumbfounded.

“We’re not far, might as well wait ‘til we’re home,” she said casually, but with the slightest smirk at the effect she was having on him.

“What if someone sees you?”

“They’ll think I spilled something on my shirt,” she responded. “Which technically I did.”

“What about that?” He motioned to the streak of white decorating her from throat to chin.

“Oh, good catch,” she said, running a finger up her neck and gathering up his cum.  To his astonishment, she slipped the finger into her mouth, sucking it clean. “There, we good now?”

Harry nodded, struggling to breathe, let alone speak.


	18. The Informant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're in the home stretch! Time to start bringing everything to a close!

Harry and Tonks returned from the holidays with a fresh zeal to bring in Alberton.  For his part, Harry was feeling rejuvenated now that he no longer had to study like mad every day.  There was something more too; an eagerness for the work that hadn’t been there before.  He wasn’t sure if this was passing his qualifications, living with Tonks full time now, or some other influence, but he was actively excited to pick back up their investigation.

They decided to begin their interrogations of Alberton’s friends, classmates and associates immediately.  Tonks reasoned that everyone would still be enjoying the post-Christmas spirit, and their guards might be down.  Still, she intended to move as quickly as possible, in case Alberton got word of what they were doing.

And so on January 2nd, as many Aurors as the Office could spare marched out in force.  Their goal was to question as many possible suspects simultaneously.  Everyone knew it was a long shot, but they left the Ministry determined.

Harry and Tonks took the most likely suspects, the first of which was Alberton’s closest friend at Hogwarts, a half blood wizard currently working at a magical construction business outside of London.  Unfortunately, they got very little useful out of the visit.

“I’d love to help,” he told Tonks and Harry outside a half-completed house, “but I haven’t seen Ian since before the war.  I’ve got no idea what he’s been up to.”

“Are you sure about that?” Tonks asked. “You two were close at Hogwarts, right?”

“Yeah, I suppose, but you know how it is,” the man responded with a shrug. “You leave school and people tend to drift apart.  I suppose I got a bit fed up with his superiority complex too.  He was always going on about Muggle politics, as if any of us cared about that sort of thing.”

They asked him a few more questions, but it was clear that he didn’t know anything that they hadn’t already gleaned themselves.

“You think he was telling the truth?” Harry asked as they left the construction area.

“He seemed on the level,” Tonks replied. “And he’s right, leaving school tends to destroy friendships pretty quick.”

“I’m still friends with Ron and Hermione,” Harry protested.

“Sure, but most of us don’t bring down evil dark wizards with our friends before we graduate,” Tonks pointed out. “I’m guessing that tends to strengthen the attachment.”

“A bit,” Harry admitted.

The rest of the interviews were just a fruitless.  Alberton’s friends, almost to a one, had become fatigued with his obsession with Muggle politics and either gradually or abruptly cut him off.  Some of them had seen him since the war, but the encounters had been casual and brief, and neither Harry nor Tonks got the sense that any of them were helping him.

As night began to fall, Tonks rubbed her eyes wearily.  They had just left the house of Alberton’s last confirmed friend from Hogwarts. “Come on, we might as well hit one more.”

“None of his friends are left,” Harry protested.

“I thought we could check up on that fellow Bill told us about.”

While not exactly a friend, Bill had mentioned a wizard a year back from Alberton who always seemed to be hanging at the edge of his group.  Bill’s description of the man had reminded Harry of the way that Colin Creevey used to hover around whenever Harry was near.

“I doubt we’ll get anything from him,” Harry remarked.

“You’re probably right, but it doesn’t hurt to check,” Tonks said.

A few minutes later they were standing outside a modest London flat.  Tonks knocked rather tiredly on the door.  It opened, revealing a tall, non-descript man a few years older than them.

“Mr. Thompson?” Tonks inquired.  The man nodded warily. “I’m Auror Tonks, this is Auror Potter.  We have a few questions to ask you, if you don’t mind.”

Thompson looked uncertainly from Harry to Tonks before belatedly saying, “Oh, um, of course, come on in.”  He stood back and let them through.  Unlike some of the other people they’d interviewed that day, he didn’t offer them a chair or ask if they wanted something to drink, but stood nervously in the entryway, avoiding eye contact with them.

Tonks gave Harry a curious glance before saying, “Mr. Thompson, are you acquainted with a man named Ian Alberton?”

“Yes, I suppose – or I mean I used to be,” Thompson said, stumbling over his words. “He was a year ahead of me at Hogwarts.”

“We’re here as part of an investigation,” Tonks went on. “Mr. Alberton is currently a suspect with several recent criminal actions, including the abduction of a Muggle family.”

“Yeah, I’ve, uh, heard about some of that,” Thompson replied.

“Were you two friends?” Tonks asked.

“No, um, not really,” Thompson fidgeted. “We didn’t have a whole lot to do with each other.”

“Are you sure?” Tonks pressed. “Several of your housemates mentioned that you used to spend time around him.”

Thompson looked even more uncomfortable. “I guess that’s true.  I mean, he was pretty popular and I didn’t know anyone when I first got to Hogwarts, so I used to hang around him.”

“You’re Muggleborn, is that correct Mr. Thompson?” Harry asked.

“Yeah I am,” Thompson confirmed.

“Did you know that Mr. Alberton was as well?”

“It was hard not to, his family being rich and all,” Thompson said.

“But you’re saying you weren’t friends with him?”

“No, we weren’t.”

Thompson was actively sweating now, still refusing to look at either Tonks or Harry for longer than a few seconds.

“When was the last time you saw Mr. Alberton?” Tonks asked, picking up the thread from Harry.

“Not since leaving Hogwarts,” Thompson muttered.

Harry and Tonks exchanged a brief glance, during which he nodded.  Turning back to Thompson, she said, “Mr. Thompson, are you aware that assaulting an Auror is a crime punishable by at least fifteen years in Azkaban?”

For the first time, Thompson looked at them properly.  His eyes were wide and scared. “I don’t know – that is to say I’m not sure why that’s relevant?”

“Myself and Auror Potter were attacked by Mr. Alberton approximately two months ago,” Tonks told him steadily. “He had an accomplice who will face similar charges once caught.”

Thompson gulped visibly.

“Of course,” Tonks went on, “If said accomplice were to hand themselves over and assist in the investigation, we might be able to extend some leniency…”

The Muggleborn wizard looked between them desperately for a moment before seeming to crumble in on himself.

“It was me,” he said miserably, eyes fixed on the floor. “I was the other person you were chasing that day.”

“Right,” Tonks said briskly, taking out her wand. “Mr. Thompson, you’re under arrest.  We will be confiscating your wand and taking you to the Ministry.  You’re entitled to legal counsel and may choose to remain silent until the time of your trial.”

“Don’t bother,” Thompson said as Harry took his wand and secured his hands. “I’ll tell you everything.”

“Let’s start with why you’re helping Alberton then,” Tonks prompted.

Thompson took a deep breath, then words began spilling out of him.

“My family travels in some of the same circles as the Albertons.  My father owns a few high-end restaurants that are popular with business people and socialites like them.  When I went to Hogwarts, I hoped that Ian would be friendly since our parents knew each other, but he didn’t have any interest in me.  I got the hint after a while, and I made my own way from there.

“But after I left school, the restaurants started to struggle.  Changing economy and all that I guess, but my parents were losing money.  I did what I could, but during the war I had to go into hiding to avoid Snatchers and everything.  Once it was over, they’d lost almost everything.  We’ve been struggling to make it by ever since.”

Thompson sighed miserably. “Then, a couple months ago, Alberton shows up out of the blue, saying he needs my help.  Course I’d read all about the abduction in the _Prophet_ by then, and I didn’t want anything to do with him.  But he told me it was a misunderstanding, and he just needed time to clear things up.  In the meantime, he wanted to get the Aurors off his back for just a bit.  So he asked me to act as a decoy so he could split you two up.  In exchange he said he’d finance my parents’ new restaurant and they wouldn’t have to put up a penny.”

He looked up at Harry and Tonks desperately. “I had to do it!  They were about to lose their house, they would’ve been on the streets.  I honestly thought he just wanted to Stun you or something, you know, send a message.  I had no idea he’d try to kill you!”

Harry and Tonks exchanged looks.  Thompson certainly sounded sincere, but it was difficult to tell.  Despite Legilimency being an encouraged, although not required, area of study for Aurors, Harry had never invested much time into it, the subject always putting a sour note in his stomach.  Now he rather wished he’d given it a bit more effort.

“Your cooperation is appreciated,” Tonks said officially. “We’ll hold you at the Ministry while we work on verifying what you’ve told us.”

Thompson nodded glumly as they led him out of his apartment.

 ***

“I can’t believe that worked,” Harry remarked, standing with Tonks outside the small interrogation room in the Auror Offices.  Thompson had accompanied them to the Ministry without resistance or complaint and was now being interviewed by the most skilled Legilimens currently available: Kingsley himself.

“You never know where you’ll get a break in the case,” Tonks replied sagely. “Good job on that by the way.”

“What d’you mean?” Harry said in surprise. “You were the one doing the talking.”

“Yeah but this line of thought was your idea,” she said with a small smile. “You suggested we take a look at acquaintances.”

“Lucky guess,” Harry said demurely.

“No, it honestly wasn’t, Harry,” Tonks said, uncharacteristically serious. “You’ve brought us everything in this case.  _You_ caught on to the crime in the first place, _you_ made the connection with his family, and _you_ figured him for using an accomplice.  If we manage to bring him in, it’ll be because of you.”

Harry felt himself grow warm in the face and glanced away in embarrassment, but Tonks gently turned him to look back at her.

“I’m really proud of you, Harry,” she said emphatically. “You’re a fantastic Auror.”

Gazing into her kind, earnest eyes, Harry was overwhelmed with emotion, and struggled to come up with anything to say.  Finally, he was able to croak out, “I had a great teacher.”

Tonks smiled at him, her face crinkling delightedly.  She pulled him in for a quick kiss before the door to the interrogation room opened, and Kingsley emerged.

“What d’you think?” she asked eagerly. “Is he telling the truth?”

“Either that or he is an unusually accomplished Occlumens,” Kingsley replied. “Which I doubt, based on his profile.  Not even an OWL in Defense Against the Dark Arts.  I think he’s telling the truth.”

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. “What now?  Do we have him try to contact Alberton?”

“Actually, we might not need to,” Kingsley said. “Thompson thinks he knows where Alberton is hiding out.”

“What?!” Tonks and Harry reacted with identical surprise, causing Kingsley to grin.

“According to him, Alberton and his family own a castle in Gwent that they use for vacations and discreet business dealings.”

“That didn’t turn up when we were looking at their properties,” Tonks protested indignantly.

“Apparently there was some controversy with the Welsh locals,” Kingsley explained. “It’s a religious site of some sort.  They purchased it under different names to avoid being associated with any negative attention.”

“Then how did Thompson know about it?” Harry frowned.

“His folks have handled catering for a the Albertons a few times.  Shady kinds of events.  He said he doubts Alberton’s even aware he knows about it.”

“Well bollocks,” Tonks said, looking disgruntled. “If we’d known that, this would’ve been over a lot sooner.”

“We’re not used to dealing with these kinds of crimes,” Kingsley said fairly. “If he weren’t using magic, we wouldn’t have any grounds for going after him.  I imagine he knows that too.  He’s using our blind spots against us.”

“Not anymore though,” Harry said determinedly. “Are we going after him?”

“We are,” Kingsley nodded, with an air of steel about him. “Tonks, gather up the senior Aurors, we need to start planning.”

“Right-O,” Tonks said merrily, and skipped off.

“Anything you need from me, Kingsley?” Harry asked, eager to make himself useful.

The Minister looked unusually serious. “Yes, and this is important, Harry.  I need you to take a few recruits and scout out this castle.  We need to get a sense of the terrain, and any sorts of defenses we may be up against.”

Harry was quite surprised by this assignment. “Are you sure?  Shouldn’t you have a senior Auror in charge?”

“Ideally, but I don’t have enough to spare.  I need as many as I can right here at the moment so we can get a move on.  Besides, you’re fully qualified now, and you’re more than capable of doing something like this.” Kinglsey paused, looking intently at Harry. “I’m trusting you here, Harry.  Can I count on you?”

Harry knew what Kingsley was leaving unspoken.  This was exactly the kind of assignment he had struggled with so much in the past.  Kingsley wanted to know if he could be a proper Auror.

“I won’t let you down,” he said fervently.

Kinglsey smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man.  You’ve got two hours, take whoever you need and report back.  I want us ready to move on Alberton by tomorrow morning.”

Since it was after hours, most of the recruits had already gone home.  Harry knew that they would be summoned back shortly to prepare for the raid, but he couldn’t afford to wait for them.  Luckily Neville and Ron were still there, studying for a test on poisons.  He quickly explained the assignment to them.

“We gonna try to take him if he’s there?” Ron asked eagerly as they fastened traveling cloaks around their throats.

“Not this time,” Harry said firmly, mindful of Kingsley’s concern. “We’re going by the book on this one.”

Neville seemed fine with that, but Ron rolled his eyes a bit. “Where’s the fun in that?” Harry knew he wasn’t entirely serious, but he was also aware that Ron had never quite seen the problem with their initial approach to Auror work.

They arrived in the dark Welsh countryside a moment later, the looming shadow of an impressive castle outlined in the moonlight.  Wasting no time, they began navigating the perimeter of the castle grounds, casting various detection spells as they went.  Neville had a particular talent for this kind of magic, and Harry had him take lead, with Ron keeping an eye out for potential attackers.

After a half hour, they had circled the entire castle, and were left in a state of puzzlement.

“I can’t find anything,” Neville said in frustration. “No signs of magic on the grounds.”

“What about the castle itself?” Harry asked.

Neville shook his head. “Too far away to tell.  We’d have to get in closer.”

“Maybe he didn’t think we’d find the place.” Ron suggested. “Didn’t put up anything.  Want to risk it?”

Ron’s reasoning was sound, but Harry couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.  It took him a moment to recall that Alberton had shown a liking for Muggle traps as well.  Things like the shotgun trick he’d rigged wouldn’t show up in a magical search.  Which meant there was a distinct possibility that the grounds were riddled with traps that most wizards wouldn’t recognize. 

Most, but not all.

“Ron, run and get your dad,” Harry said.  When Ron looked at him quizzically, he explained, “I think he may have more Muggle tricks set up, instead of magic.  He knows we’d have trouble spotting that sort of thing, but your dad knows what to look for.”

Realization dawning, Ron wasted no time in Disapparating.  Harry and Neville kept alert for any signs of trouble while he was gone, but the night was quiet.  Barely five minutes later, Ron returned with his father, laden down with a variety of devices Harry did not recognize.  Mr. Weasley looked, despite the seriousness of the situation, extremely excited at the prospect of encountering more examples of Muggle weaponry.  Ron had explained the situation, and he set to work immediately.

“I have a few ideas,” Mr. Weasley said, after taking a moment to examine the grounds. “There really isn’t anywhere he could hide a trick like that shotgun in the alley.  Too much open space, see.  The only place for him to put any traps would be the ground.”

“Do you have any way of telling if he has?” Harry asked.

Mr. Weasley was already sorting through the pile of Muggle contraptions he’d brought with him. “I have just the thing right here,” he said, straightening up and holding an odd device.  It looked like a plate on the end of a stick.  Ron and Neville looked at it, nonplussed, but Harry recognized it immediately.

“A metal detector!” he said excitedly. “It tells you if there’s anything metal underneath it,” he explained to Ron and Neville.

“And that helps us how?” Ron asked, eying the device skeptically.

“Most Muggle devices have metal in them, especially traps,” Mr. Weasley elaborated. “If he has anything set up in the ground, this will tell us.”

Ron and Neville continued to look rather uncertain as Mr. Weasley set off toward the castle, metal detector in hand.  He moved slowly, making wide arcs with the detector.  Initially it seemed as if Harry’s suspicions had been wrong, and the grounds were as innocuous as they appeared.  However, about a hundred feet away from the castle, the metal detector beeped, and Mr. Weasley came to a halt.

“Here,” he said quietly, pointing to a spot of earth identical to the rest.  Setting the metal detector aside, he took out his wand and began carefully sifting through the loose soil.  He refused help from the others, saying they might set it off by accident.  Harry couldn’t tell what _it_ was, but Mr. Weasley was unusually serious, and he didn’t want to get in the way.

Eventually he motioned them over to see what he’d uncovered.  Sitting in a shallow divot was a thick disk that rather resembled the end of the metal detector.  Harry had a guess what it was, and Mr. Weasley confirmed it a moment later.

“That right there is a mine,” he told them. “It’s a rather ingenious Muggle trap.  If one of us had stepped on that, it would have exploded and sent us sky high.”

Ron and Neville looked at the elder Weasley in alarm. “Is it still dangerous,” Neville asked.

“No, I’ve disabled this one with a Freezing Charm,” Mr. Weasley assured them. “It’s an easy thing to do, but you have to know it’s there.”

“What are the odds that this would just be lying here?” Harry asked.

“In my opinion, very low,” Mr. Weasley said. “You tend to see these sorts of things in Muggle war zones.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them used like this.  As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure this is illegal.  Someone like Alberton would have access to far more effective security if he were just trying to keep Muggles out.”

“But this is perfect for fighting wizards,” Harry said grimly.  If there were any doubt in his mind that this was Alberton’s work, it was gone now.  But there might still be other tricks nearer to the castle. “Are you close enough now?” he asked Neville.

Neville looked appraisingly toward the castle and nodded.  The rest of them fell silent as Neville raised his wand and began muttering under his breath.  He lowered his wand a few minutes later, frowning.

“Nothing?” Harry said in disappointment.  He’d been positive they were finally onto Alberton.

“No, I’m picking up quite a bit,” Neville said. “But it’s not what I expected.  Household spells, as far as I can tell.  No traps or Dark Magic, just an anti-Disapparation field.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Ron said.

Harry shook his head, “Actually it does if you think about it.  He assumes that we wouldn’t be clever enough to find the mines, so why use anything else?  All he has to do is make sure we can’t Apparate in.  We approach on foot, blow ourselves up, and he has plenty of time to get away.”

“So what do we do then?” Ron asked. “It’d take forever to clear out this whole place if he’s got more of those things in the ground.”

“I have a few more metal detectors,” Mr. Weasley offered. “You could split into groups.  It’s fairly easy once you know what you’re doing.”

“No need,” Harry said. “If there’s no other magic defenses set up, all we’ve got to do is fly in.”

The simplicity of the approach caused Neville and Ron to gape for a moment.  Neville was first to recover. “How could he have not thought of that?”

“Why would he?” Harry countered. “We wouldn’t bother trying it if we hadn’t found the mines.  And he’s arrogant enough to think that we don’t know anything about Muggle traps.”

“In fairness _we_ don’t.  He does.” Ron said, indicating his father.  Mr. Weasley smiled rather self-indulgently.

“And good thing too,” Harry said, “Or this would’ve gone very badly tomorrow.”

“Should we get on back and report then?” Ron asked.

“In just a second.” Harry turned back to Neville. “Are there people in there?”

Neville nodded. “A dozen or so I think.”

That brought Harry up short.  He hadn’t been expecting Alberton to have company, and he wondered who else could possibly be with him.  Clearly Ron was thinking the same.

“You think he might have more hostages?” he asked sharply.

“Might not be,” Harry said, thinking furiously. “Could be servants.  He didn’t strike me as the type to make his own meals.”

“Yeah but can we risk it?” Ron countered.

“We’ll have to,” Harry said, making up his mind. “It’s too risky for us to try to take him on our own.”

“Oh come off it,” Ron said incredulously, “You think he’ll put up more of a fight than Avery and Jugson?”

“I think he’s given us plenty of trouble so far,” Harry said firmly, “and I’m not keen on rushing in and testing our luck again.  We’ll report back to Kinglsey and let him decide how to handle it.”

“It’s a good call, son,” Mr. Weasley admonished Ron gently.  Neville nodded his agreement, running a hand over his still short hair.  Ron didn’t look happy about it, but he relented with a shrug.

“You’re the boss,” he said.

For the first time, Harry had a sense of what it must have been like for authority figures trying to manage his impulses over the years.  Suddenly he felt a burst of sympathy for Smith, and resolved to go easier on the fellow from now on.

They carefully reburied the mine and retreated, Disapparating back to the Ministry.  They rode back up to the second floor in silence, a slightly sullen one in Ron’s case.  Once in the Auror Offices, Ron and Neville went to join the chattering crowd of gathered recruits, while Harry and Arthur went to report to the senior Aurors.

Six of the senior Aurors, including Tonks and Smith, were currently available.  The other three were currently working on assignments that couldn’t be dropped at a moment’s notice.  And of course there was Kingsley himself who, despite his responsibilities as Minister, was still acting as Department Head.

In all, they were an intimidating bunch, battle scarred and grim, with the notable exception of Tonks.  She gave Harry a small smile as he moved to the head of the long table to report out. 

Once he was done, Kingsley leaned forward.

“Thank you both, this gives us a much better idea what we’re up against.  Arthur, would you mind sticking around, I imagine we’ll want your expertise.”

Arthur smiled easily and joined the table.  For his part, Harry made to leave and rejoin the recruits in the outer offices.  However, he’d only made it a couple steps before Kingsley stopped him.

“You too, Harry, I’d like you here,” Kingsley said.

Harry froze. “Me?” he repeated thickly. “I’m not a senior Auror.”

There were a few chuckles, presumably at the surprised expression on his face, and Kingsley grinned slightly. “No, but you’re the only other qualified Auror in the department right now.  We’re too short staffed for you to sit this one out.”

He motioned for Harry to take a seat, who did so, exceptionally conscious of the fact that Kingsley’s request was a tacit indication of his trust in Harry.  Whatever his previous troubles, Kingsley was now signaling that Harry was part of the fold.  Harry also couldn’t help thinking about the fact that he was easily the youngest person at the table.  He hadn’t been lying to Tonks when he told her that he rarely felt his age, but something about sitting with the rest of the senior Aurors made him feel particularly young.

Smith leaned forward almost at once. “Was there any sign that Alberton was actually present?”

“No,” Harry admitted. “It would’ve been too risky to get close enough to see.”

Smith and a couple other Aurors raised their eyebrows at that, but they let it pass. “So it’s entirely possible that he won’t be there tomorrow, and then we’ll have lost our best chance of catching him.”

“That’s a possibility both ways,” Tonks said, joining the conversation. “If we move on him tomorrow, we might not get him.  But if we don’t, we run the risk of him finding out we have Thompson.  Either way, he goes to ground and we have to start all over again.”

“I get that,” Smith said, not backing down. “I just want to make sure we’re on the same page on this.  From what Arthur’s told us, he’s got defenses specifically designed to throw off wizards, meaning we’ll be out of our depth.  And on top of that, we’ve got no guarantee that he’s even there.”

There was some grumbling around the table, and even Harry allowed that it wasn’t a terrible point.  However, he thought it would be a mistake for them to pass up this opportunity.  He wasn’t sure if it was his place to speak up though, particularly given his record.

At that moment he caught Tonks’s eye.  Unlike the others, she looked equally skeptical about holding off.  She raised an eyebrow at him, and he understood that she was encouraging him to say something.

“Actually, I think there’s a decent chance he’ll be there,” he said.  The table fell silent, and seven stern, forbidding faces turned to consider him.  He pushed down his sudden nerves at being regarded so intensely and pressed on. “From everything we’ve learned, Alberton’s the kind of bloke who likes a bit of luxury.  I have a hard time seeing him hiding out in a tiny flat somewhere.  A castle seems much more his style.

“And besides,” he went on, feeling a bit more confident, “we know there was _someone_ in that place, and Alberton’s got a history of kidnapping.  We can’t run the risk that he’s got more innocent people in there with him.”

He lapsed into silence, and looked to Tonks, who gave him a proud smile.  No one else said anything, but the expressions had turned contemplative.

“I’m inclined to agree with Harry,” Kingsley said eventually. “It’s certainly a risk to us if we go after him now, but it’s a greater risk to others if we don’t.” He leaned forward authoritatively. “We’re doing this.  I want a plan, and squad assignments ready to go as soon as possible.  We move before dawn.”

Smith and the other holdouts took the decision in stride and threw themselves into the planning process.  They debated point of approach and the size and composition of different squads.  Kingsley caused a slight rustle when he announced that Harry would lead one of the smaller groups, but that passed quickly enough.  They moved on to potential hurdles, traps, and a dozen other details that made Harry’s head hurt.  At one point Tonks got into a shouting match with another Auror about the color robes they should wear.  Kingsley appeared to take that as a sign that they had done everything they could to prepare.

“Brief your squads,” he instructed them. “Then go home and get a couple hours of sleep.  We meet back here at five.”

They filed out of the conference room looking tired and grumpy.  It was close to midnight, and there was still quite a bit left to do.  The bored looking recruits roused themselves at the sight of the senior Aurors.  Most of the squads would be made up of five or six recruits, and one senior Auror.  Being rather more junior, Harry would lead a smaller contingent.  Kingsley had decided, given how well the evening’s reconnaissance had gone, that he would again be paired with Ron and Neville.

Harry himself was a little more nervous about this, especially since Ron was showing some dissatisfaction with Harry’s more cautious approach to the job.  Still, they seemed reasonably eager to go as Harry approached them.  That was, until Harry briefed them on their role in the upcoming raid.

“We got basement detail,” Harry explained.  At their confused looks he continued, “We’re gonna try to sneak up and get the drop on him, but just in case we trip an alarm or something, Kingsley wants to have a couple of teams keeping an eye on possible escape routes.”

“What, and he thinks Alberton’ll try and escape through the basement?” Ron asked skeptically.

“Honestly, not really,” Harry admitted. “We agreed it was more likely he’d try to escape on a broom, like at his townhome.  The basement’s just to cover all possibilities.”

Neville looked somewhat disgruntled by this choice, but Ron was downright indignant.

“How in the world do we get stuck with that?” he demanded. “You’re the one whose been tracking him, how come we’re not going after him?”

“We’re _all_ going after him,” Harry countered, although he didn’t entirely disagree. “Tonks is heading up the squad that’ll be aiming to bring him in, but we don’t honestly know where he’ll be.  There’s a chance he might come running right at us.”

Ron snorted. “Yeah right, like that’s gonna happen if we’re in the basement.  Come clean, mate, they’re sidelining us, aren’t they?”

Tired as he was, and anxious about the next day, Harry felt his temper rising. “If they wanted to sideline us, they could just leave us here!” he pointed out. “ _I_ got this assignment because I’m the youngest Auror in the bunch.  Be honest with me, would you hand your youngest Auror the most important assignment?”

Ron glared for a moment before grudgingly admitting, “Maybe not.  But the youngest Auror isn’t usually Harry Potter now, is it?  Do you honestly think anyone else could outduel this guy?”

Harry groaned, trying to find some way to convey his newly developing perspective in a way that Ron would understand.

“It’s not just about how good we are at dueling,” he said, trying to be patient. “Think about it, every team’s got at least three people on it.  Alberton’s not Voldemort, any one of the teams could take him down.”

“And you’re fine with that?” Ron asked. “You don’t care that we might sit this whole thing out in a basement and not see any action?”

“Yeah,” Harry said, realizing as he said it that it really was true. “Yeah I am.  We’re not doing this to be part of the action, we’re doing it to help people.  I mean, wasn’t the war enough action for all of us?”

Ron sighed and ran a hand through his vivid red hair. “I suppose.  Just seems a bit silly after everything we’ve been through.”

“Ron, we wouldn’t be here if they didn’t respect what we’ve done,” Harry said, reaching out to clasp his friend’s arm. “It’s alright to take it a bit easy now though.”

“If you say so,” Ron said with a shrug. “Maybe I’m just tired right now.”

“We all are,” Harry said. “Head home, get a bit of sleep.  It’ll go well tomorrow, just wait and see.”

Ron ambled off, joining the crowd of exhausted Aurors filing out of the Office, but Neville made no move to leave.  He stayed, leaning against a cubicle wall, looking contemplative.

“Alright, Neville?” Harry asked, a bit concerned.

Neville blinked and looked around, seemingly surprised that Harry was still there. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said. “Just thinking.”

“Anything I should know?”

“It can wait,” Neville replied enigmatically. “I’ll see you in a few.” And he followed Ron.

Harry slumped a bit once they were both out of sight, feeling drained.  As clear as it was to him that his old approach to being an Auror had been frustrating, it was equally clear that Ron was still stuck in those attitudes.  He was so preoccupied thinking about this that he completely missed seeing Tonks approaching until she leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Hey there,” he said wearily, wrapping an arm around her. “Everything go well with your squad?”

“No problems,” she said around a yawn. “I caught some of what you were saying to Ron.”

“Yeah, I’m a little worried about him,” Harry said heavily. “It doesn’t seem like the job’s suiting him at the moment.” He felt Tonks chuckle tiredly against him. “What’s so funny?”

“Just a bit ironic hearing that from you,” Tonks said, smiling up at him. “A lot’s changed.”

“Trust me, I realize,” Harry said fervently. “I just hope he’s alright tomorrow.”

“You mean today?” Tonks replied. “It’s one thirty.”

He groaned. “God that’s awful.  I’m exhausted, but there’s no way I’ll be able to sleep.”

“I can never sleep before an assignment like this,” Tonks said before straightening up. “We might as well head home.”

“What’s the point if we’re not going to sleep?” Harry asked. “Might as well stay here.”

“We could,” she said, with a glint in her eye. “But I had an idea how to pass the time, and it might be a bit inappropriate here.”

Tired as he was, it only took Harry a moment to catch on.  A huge portion of his weariness disappeared, and he grinned. “Lead on.”


	19. Doing the Job Right

They arrived back at the Ministry several hours later, not exactly refreshed, but energized.  Tonks paused outside the Office and wrapped her arms around Harry’s neck, burying her face in his shoulder.  Harry returned the hug gratefully.

“Are you worried at all?” she asked, her voice muffled slightly.

“Not really,” Harry said.  Tonks raised her head long enough to arch an eyebrow at him. “Alright, maybe a little.  I don’t want to let anyone down.”

“You won’t,” she reassured him. “Just remember that you can count on us.  Let everyone do their jobs and we’ll be fine.”

“I will,” Harry promised her, hoping desperately he’d remember that promise once spells started flying.  He made to let go and enter the Office, but Tonks stopped him.

“That being said, if things do happen to go to shit, none of us would mind a little Harry Potter flair.”

Harry grinned. “Got it.  Pitched battle it is then.”

Tonks laughed and together they entered the Office, splitting up to rejoin their squads.  Ron and Neville both nodded when Harry approached, but otherwise didn’t say anything.  Ron was tapping his wand on his leg, still looking unhappy.  For his part, Harry was too wrapped up in his own nerves to have any patience for more arguments.  They waited in silence for Kingsley to give the go ahead.

Once they were all assembled, Kingsley stood up on a chair to address the assembled Aurors and recruits.

“You’ve all been briefed on your assignments,” he began without preamble, “but I want to say a couple things before we leave.  A few of you may be wondering why we’re taking so many people to apprehend one man.”

Based on the murmurs, that was indeed a common concern.  Kingsley didn’t look fazed though. “The fugitive we’re after is extremely dangerous.  He may not be Death Eater material, but so far he’s managed to outwit some of our most talented Aurors.  He’ll likely have more than a few tricks we’re not expecting.  Don’t assume this will be an easy run.  Be cautious, and follow your squad leaders’ instructions.”

With that, he hopped down and led the way out of the department.  A parade of wizards followed, more than had been assembled for this kind of task since before Voldemort’s death.  The entire Office had been brought along for the mission, with the exception of a few randomly chosen recruits who would stay at the Ministry in case of emergency.

Harry of course knew that there was more to this choice than Kingsley had expressed.  He had privately explained to the senior Aurors and Harry that a lot was riding on this particular case.  Half the Muggle-borns in the wizarding community were convinced that the Ministry was dragging its feet on the case because it mostly affected Muggles.  The other half were up in arms that the Ministry was pursuing a Muggle-born suspect, arguing it was a witch-hunt.  And a fair number of pure and half-bloods thought the whole thing was a waste of resources and should have been left to Muggle authorities.

On the whole, the case hadn’t been very popular.  Kingsley needed a swift resolution that brought in Alberton alive, and with undeniable proof of his misdeeds.  And he’d decided the best way to get it was overwhelming force.  Not that Harry objected; he was tired of Alberton running free, and happy to take all the help he could get.

They Apparated as close to the grounds as they dared, not wanting to risk alerting Alberton that they were coming.  Even if he didn’t have magical forms of detection set up, it wouldn’t be hard for someone looking out a window to notice a few dozen figures on brooms flying towards the castle.

Harry, Ron, and Neville were towards the back of the approaching flock of wizards.  As they got closer, squads began peeling off in different directions.  Tonks took her group to land on the top of the castle, while Smith and Davies aimed for several of the balconies.  Harry’s squad stayed behind Kingsley, who was heading up the primary group tackling the main entrance.

Harry kept waiting for something to go wrong, for some trap they hadn’t detected to go off at any moment.  Despite his fears, they made it across the grounds without incident and landed in a huddle in front of the massive double doors guarding the castle.  By the time Harry’s group arrived, Arthur was already hard at work disabling the Muggle security alarm wired to the front doors.

“Normally a Freezing Charm is enough to shut them down,” Arthur whispered to Kingsley. “But he must have done something with this one.  It’s going to take me a bit longer.”

“Do you think he’s done the same with the rest of the entries?” Kingsley asked, his voice still carrying despite the lower volume.

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Arthur replied. “He seems like a thorough fellow.”

“What are the chances the other teams will notice the difference?” Harry inquired from the back.

Arthur looked doubtful. “Unless they all took a crash course in Muggle electronics in the last three hours, I’d guess…”

From inside the castle, they heard a piercing mechanical wail as the alarm went off.  Lights began flicking on throughout the windows, and the sound of shouting reached them.

“No,” Arthur said definitively. “They didn’t notice the difference.”

Above the noise of the alarm and shouting, Harry distinctly heard Kingsley let out an exasperated sigh.  With a resigned look on his face, he said, “I guess we’re not doing this quietly.  Let’s go.”

“Any change to the assignments?” Ron asked hopefully.

Kingsley shook his head. “Keep to the plan.” Brandishing his wand, he blew open the doors with a resounding crash.  Harry was reminded forcibly of the Battle of Hogwarts as he watched Kingsley march through the wreckage of the castle entry, cloak billowing around him.

They moved cautiously through the ground floor, on the alert for any signs of more traps.  However, it seemed that most of the commotion was taking place upstairs, where Tonks and the others had entered.  They encountered nothing other than a mouse in one of the pantries.

Once they found the staircase to the basement, Harry, Ron, and Neville split off the from the main group to carry out their role in the battle.  To his credit, Ron kept his guard up as they tiptoed down the stairs, not letting his dissatisfaction with the assignment affect his performance.  Neville once again took point, casting detection spells continuously.  But as they moved from room to dusty room, passing boxes, old furniture, and moldy portraits, they encountered no traps, magical or otherwise.

Eventually, as they paused in an empty stone room, Ron huffed in exasperation. “Come on, Harry, there’s nothing down here.  This is pointless.”

Despite being inclined to agree, Harry tried to put up a good front. “He could still have hidden something, we just haven’t found it.”

Even Neville didn’t buy that. “I can’t imagine where, Harry, we’ve been over the whole basement.”

Harry had nothing to offer against that, and while he tried to think of something, they heard a series of staccato cracks from one of the floors above.  The three of them looked instinctively at the ceiling.

“What was that?” Neville asked, frowning.

“Gunshots,” Harry guessed.  It would fit with Alberton’s M.O.  His chest grew suddenly tight.

“Alright, that does it,” Ron said grimly. “ _Now_ can we get out of here?”

Harry was incredibly torn.  Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to go up and join the fight.  What if one of the squads had been caught off guard by the alarm?  What if someone had been hurt?  What if, his stomach dropped at the thought, it was Tonks?

He was halfway to the door out of the little chamber before he regained control of himself.  With a monumental effort he reminded himself that they had prepared for this.  There were over fifty Aurors up there, three more wouldn’t make a difference.

“No,” he said to the others through a clenched jaw. “We stick to the assignment.”

“Are you serious?” Ron said incredulously. “We’re just gonna let them all get shot up there?”

“Guns were in the briefing,” Harry said, reminding himself as much as Ron. “They knew what to expect.”

“Doesn’t mean we still shouldn’t help,” Ron argued. “They could’ve been caught by surprise.”

“Check your coin,” Harry told him.  He honestly should have thought of it sooner.

Grudgingly, Ron fished out an emerald coin from his pocket.  He scowled at it while Harry waited.

The coins were a more complex variant of Hermione’s idea with the DA, that Harry had suggested to Kingsley early on.  Aurors now carried message coins on any missions where they might have to split up.  They could send simple messages, or if they were in imminent danger, the coin would heat up.  It would also act as a sort of beacon to whoever had sent the distress call.

Ron’s coin was stone cold and blank at the moment.

“Fine!” he huffed, shoving the coin back in his pocket and turning away.  For his part, Harry took a moment to lean against the doorjamb and take a deep, shaky breath.  The idea of a battle raging right over their heads bothered him just as much as Ron.  More, probably, given the fact that Tonks was likely right in the middle of the action.

It didn’t help that every few minutes, another series of pops echoed through the ceiling.  Ron was pacing the little stone room, occasionally casting dour glances upwards.  After one particularly loud volley, he actually turned and kicked the wall.

When it reverberated with a distinctly hollow ring, they all turned to look at it in considerable puzzlement.  Tentatively, Ron tapped the wall again, eliciting the same strange noise.

“What the hell?” Ron said, distracted from his irritation.

“That’s not stone,” Neville said, running a hand along the wall. “It feels thin.”

“Move over,” Harry said, pointing his wand at the wall.  Once they were out of the way, he said, “Alohomora!”

To the shock of all present, a section of the wall slid back, revealing a hidden passage out of the empty little chamber.  After looking at each other warily, they advanced into the newly uncovered room.

“Picking up anything, Neville?” Harry whispered into the darkness.

“No traps,” Neville replied. “But there’s definitely something just up here.”

The passageway ended after a just few feet and they found themselves in a new room that Harry could only describe as an evil lair.  It was a dramatic way of thinking about it, but the longer he looked around, the more it seemed appropriate.  One wall was lined with a bewildering assortment of potions, brooms, and other devices, while the other featured a series of pictures and newspaper cutouts.  The opposite wall was bare, save for another plain wooden door.

Harry directed Ron and Neville to the potions, while he went to examine the pictures and articles.  They were all, as near as he could tell from a cursory glance, Muggle politicians and businessmen.  What Harry had initially taken for newspaper clippings were in fact handwritten notes, apparently from Alberton himself.

“Harry, you wouldn’t believe some of the things he has over here,” Ron called. “Forgetfulness potions, long lasting poisons, Polyjuice, Veritaserum.  Merlin’s beard, Snape’s office didn’t even look like this!”

“Same here,” Neville said. “I don’t even recognize some of this stuff.  He’s got a whole stock of George’s Defense line, though.”

Harry glanced over at Neville, who was sorting through a pile of magical items he’d unearthed. “Most of that’s European,” he remarked. “He probably picked a lot of it up when he was abroad.  Half of that’s illegal.”

“What about over there?” Ron asked.

“Alberton’s targets,” Harry answered grimly, looking back at the board. “I didn’t think Brook was his first, and it looks like I was right.  He’s been blackmailing, enchanting, and poisoning politicians and businessmen he disagrees with for over a year now.”

“Blimey,” Ron said, coming up to examine the wall too. “Any other kidnappings?”

“Not that I can tell,” Harry said, scanning the notes. “Looks like he was keeping a low profile initially.  He wanted to see if the Ministry would catch on.  When we didn’t, he started getting bolder.”

“He would’ve gotten away with it too, if you hadn’t caught on,” Neville observed, still sorting items out.

“I got lucky,” Harry said automatically, still taking in the scope of Alberton’s wrongdoings. “If he hadn’t let his guard down, we probably never would’ve known he was up to anything.”

With an effort, he tore himself away from the wall, knowing they’d have plenty of time to examine it later. “What’s through there?” he asked, indicating the other door out of the room.

Neville got up and opened it rather cautiously.  The other side was decidedly uninteresting however, nothing more than a cramped, earthen passage. 

“Getaway tunnel, you reckon?” Ron said, peering into the dark corridor.

Before Harry could speculate, Alberton provided the answer personally.  With a clatter, the Muggle-born wizard stumbled into the room, looking more than a little harried.  He froze when he saw his getaway chamber occupied by three Aurors, and for a brief moment, no one moved.

Harry, Ron, and Neville recovered first.  Before Alberton could do more than twitch, three wands were trained on him.  His eyes darted between each of them, clearly looking for some kind of out.

Harry wasn’t about to give him one.

“Mr. Alberton,” he said with an intense feeling of satisfaction. “You are under arrest.  Please surrender your wand.”

He watched Alberton flick through a dozen potential responses before realizing that, dueling champion or not, he had no chance against three Aurors, one of whom had already shown he could beat him with a concussion.  With a look of deeply bitter reluctance, he let his wand drop from his hand.

Harry immediately summoned Alberton’s wand to him, while Ron stepped forward to secure the fugitive.  A simple binding spell immobilized the man’s arms while Neville checked his pockets for any other surprises.

All the while, Alberton glared daggers at Harry.  He didn’t say anything, but Harry could feel the intensity of his resentment like a physical thing.  Not that Harry cared much in that moment.  Relief at finally having caught the man warred with lingering concern about the noises they’d been hearing from upstairs.

Once they confirmed that Alberton wasn’t carrying anything that he could use to escape, they were finally able to march him back through the basement, Ron and Neville on either side, and Harry bringing up the rear.  Despite Harry’s half-conscious expectations that something else was bound to go wrong, they made it all the way to the stairs without incident.  Rounding the corner, they found themselves face to face with a disheveled looking Tonks and her squad, wands at the ready.

“Harry!” she said in surprise once she saw them, lowering her wand immediately.  She looked a little worse for the wear, with several tears in her robes, and a few long, bleeding scratches across the side of her face.  None of that seemed to register with her as she struggled to comprehend the sight of Harry, Ron, and Neville marching Alberton down the corridor. “What’s going on?  We though he ran down here, but wait, is that…?”

She finally focused enough to recognize Alberton, and Harry was treated to the very rare sight of Tonks speechless.  She gaped at the silent, fuming criminal in front of Harry.

Harry couldn’t help grinning, although he was far more concerned with the state of Tonks’s injuries at the moment. “We got him.”

As the information percolated through a haze of adrenaline, Harry watched the same feeling of relief wash over Tonks.  She sagged visibly, a smile spreading across her somewhat battered face.

“Thank God,” she breathed. “Let’s get him out of here fast.”

A moment later they were standing in the middle of the castle’s entry, surrounded by jubilant Aurors.  Kingsley had to shout to make himself heard through the noise.

“Alright, we’re not done yet!” He called. “Smith, you and Jackson with me, we’re taking the suspect back to the Ministry!  Davies, supervise cleanup! Tonks, you catalogue evidence!  I want us out of here as soon as possible!”

With only mild grumbling, the assembled group of witches and wizards began dispersing to their respective tasks, although not before bestowing congratulatory slaps on Harry, Ron, and Nevilles’ backs.  Even Kingsley, when he came forward to take custody of Alberton, leaned in and said with a proud smile, “Good work, gentlemen.”

Harry watched as Alberton was marched off out of the wreckage of his castle, a massive weight lifting off his shoulders.  Ron, by contrast, looked pensive.

“That was anticlimactic,” he remarked to Harry, glancing around at the milling Aurors.

Harry laughed. “Were you expecting a repeat of the Ministry?”

“No, but Avery and Jugson were way tougher to take down that this,” Ron replied.

“That’s because we did it right this time,” Harry said. “Every raid we go on shouldn’t feel like a battle you know.”

Ron didn’t respond, but he looked contemplative, rather than combative.  Harry took that as a good sign.  He said, “Good work, mate,” and went to rejoin Tonks, who was dividing up search teams.

“Padma and Neville will take the second floor.  Susan, and Donnelly first floor, Katie and Robert ground.  Let’s make it quick.”

As the recruits moved off to their assigned floors, Tonks turned to Harry, letting the businesslike façade fall away.

“How are you?” she asked concernedly. “Did he put up a fight?”

“He didn’t have a chance to,” Harry said, waving off her concern. “Never mind me, look at you, what happened?”

“Oh, it looks worse than it is,” Tonks said, wiping her face absently and smearing blood and soot all over her cheek. “One of those blokes shot a wall right next to me when I wasn’t expecting it.”

“Okay, I think you need to explain what happened up here,” Harry said, no longer able to hide his frustration at being shut out of the main action.

“Well, the Freezing Charm didn’t work, so we tripped the alarm coming in the roof,” Tonks said, a look of irritation crossing her features. “I’m guessing you heard that?”

“Yeah we did,” Harry said. “Alberton did something with the alarms, but Arthur didn’t catch it in time to warn everyone.”

“I figured.  That got everyone’s attention, obviously, and they charged upstairs and started shooting at us,” Tonks went on. “Turns out those extra people were Muggle security, not servants like you thought.”

Harry winced. “Was anyone hurt?”

“A few scrapes like this,” Tonks said, indicating herself, “nothing serious.  I don’t know what Alberton told them, but they clearly weren’t prepared for us.  They started scattering almost right away.”

“He probably just wanted them to distract you long enough to get away,” Harry speculated, immensely relieved that no one had been killed.

“Probably,” Tonks agreed. “Anyway, took us a bit to get them under control, but by that point, Alberton had vanished.  I thought for sure we’d lost him again until I saw you.”

“That’s why we were down there, wasn’t it?” Harry pointed out. “Cover all our bases.”

“Yeah, but this bloke was crafty,” she countered. “Every time he’s been one step ahead of us.  I couldn’t help thinking he’d get the drop on you, or you wouldn’t see him or something.”

“You’ve got that little faith in me, huh?” Harry said in mock outrage, eliciting a tired smile from Tonks.

“What about you?” she asked, “Find anything useful down there?”

“As a matter of fact…” Harry replied with a grin.

Tonks’s jaw dropped in astonishment when Harry led her down and showed her the hidden room in the basement.  Like him, she was particularly drawn to the rather creepy set of photos and notes adorning the wall.

“I can’t believe it,” she whispered. “This is more than we could have possibly hoped for.”

“Enough to put him away?” Harry asked.

She flashed him an incredulous look. “More than enough.  This is unbelievable, Harry, you’ve given us everything we need.”

“Well, technically Ron was the one who found it,” Harry said fairly.

“From the sound of it, he would have happily come up and joined the fight,” Tonks said. “No, Harry, this was up to you.”

Quiet unexpectedly, she threw herself into Harry’s arms and kissed him.  Surprised, but more than a little gratified, he kissed her back, not caring one bit about the grime of battle covering her.

When she drew back, her eyes sparkled with as much warmth as he’d ever seen.  Despite exhaustion, pain, and confusion, she looked as happy as he could remember.

“You are definitely getting laid tonight,” she announced with a grin.

 ***

It took them the better part of the morning to sort through Alberton’s stash of magical goods and repair the damage to the castle.  In the end, they made away with an impressive hall of fairly illegals potions and devices, along with extremely detailed notes on his various misdeeds.  They also managed to identify destructive enchantments similar to the one that had nearly destroyed his townhome.

“I’m guessing he planned to use his guards as distractions so he could get to his little getaway bunker and bring the whole place down around us,” Tonks explained to Kingsley once they returned to the Ministry. “If Harry and his squad hadn’t been down there, he’d have gotten away clean and probably taken out more than a few of us as well.”

“Good thing you all stayed down there then,” Kingsley observed to Harry.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Harry admitted.

“I know,” Kingsley said sympathetically, “but I’m glad you did.  Now we can stop worrying about this maniac and find a new one to occupy our time.”

Tonks grinned. “Have you gotten anything out of him yet?”

“I was waiting for the two of you,” Kingsley replied. “Ready?”

When Harry and Tonks both nodded, he led them to the same interrogation room where Thompson had sat only a few hours previously.  Alberton certainly cut a different profile than his former accomplice.  Despite the circumstances, he retained a great deal of the haughty dignity that reminded Harry so much of Draco Malfoy.  His eyes flashed as Kingsley sat down across at the simple wooden table, Tonks and Harry taking up spots just behind him.

“Mr. Alberton,” Kingsley began, “you should be aware that we are charging you with kidnapping, extortion, assault on Ministry employees, and possession of illegal artifacts and substances, just to start.  We may add other charges as we review evidence from your residence.

“You should also know,” Kingsley continued, “that you are entitled to legal counsel, if you want.  However, given the amount of evidence against you, I thought I would offer you the chance to expedite the process.”

He folded his hands on the table and waited for Alberton to respond.  For a long time, it seemed as if the Muggle-born wizard might refuse to say anything.  However, just as Harry decided they were wasting their time, he finally spoke.

“What if I refuse to recognize the authority of the Ministry to judge me?” His voice was soft, but there was venom behind his words.

Kingsley frowned. “I’m afraid that’s not in your control.  You attended Hogwarts, and you have lived as a member of wizarding society for years.  You’re responsible to Ministry policies and regulations.”

Alberton snorted. “That’s quite a statement.  As I recall, two years ago it was Ministry policy to throw people like me to the dementors.”

Kingsley didn’t even blink at the challenge. “So you think your crimes are justifiable because the Ministry was briefly controlled by a madman?”

“I think the entire concept of wizarding law is a joke!” Alberton shot back. “I’ve spent time abroad, seen how other wizards live.  The only thing you really care about not is revealing our existence to Muggles.  Well guess what, I never said a single thing about our world to anyone besides my parents.”

“Which is why you’re not being charged with a violation of the Statue of Secrecy,” Kingsley said evenly. “That doesn’t excuse the harm you’ve caused Muggles with magic.”

“Meaning if I hadn’t used magic, if I had just taken the Brook family at gunpoint, you wouldn’t have batted an eyelash?” Alberton said heatedly.

“Frankly, yes,” Kingsley replied.

“So the problem isn’t what I did, it’s how I did it?” Alberton continued. “ _You_ can use a Memory Charm to make a Muggle forget you did magic in front of them, but _I_ can’t use a Forgetfulness Potion to keep an MP at home for a day?”

“Do you have a point, Mr. Alberton?” Kingsley asked curtly.

“My point is you’re hypocrites, the whole lot of you!” Alberton said. “You sit there judging me, but I know the kinds of things you’ve done.” He looked at Harry for the first time since they entered the room. “I read Skeeter’s biography of you.  I was a prefect, but you treated Hogwarts like a playground!  You broke half the laws in the wizarding world and you got a damn medal!  I didn’t even harm the Muggles you accused me of hurting, and you’ll probably throw me in Azkaban for the rest of my life!  What’s the difference between you and me?”

Harry did his best not to show any emotion or respond, despite the fact that Rita Skeeter’s biography of him continued to be one of the most humiliating things he’d ever experienced.

“The difference, Mr. Alberton, is that Harry did it to save lives.  You did what you did to make yourself and your family wealthier,” Kingsley said, standing as he did so. “If you’re not disputing the charges, I think we’re done here.”

Alberton glared at them. “I could testify that I was under the Imperius Curse.”

“You could,” Kingsley said easily. “But you’ll be hard pressed to prove that, given how much this benefitted you.  You should also know that the Wizengamot is far less willing to believe the Imperius defense these days.”

That seemed to make Alberton even more livid. “Then maybe my family will leak certain details about your world to the Muggle press.”

“They could try.  It certainly wouldn’t be the first time, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.” Kingsley’s tone was still casual, but there was an undercurrent of steel now. “You were right about one thing though, Mr. Alberton, we take our secrecy very seriously.  I would advise you to remember that before you encourage your family to do anything rash.” With a nod, he led Harry and Tonks out of the interrogation room.

“Well that was pleasant,” Tonks said brightly once the door close behind them. “Why’d we bother doing that again?”

“We got a pretty good confession out of him,” Kingsley pointed out.

“Yeah, but it’s not like we needed it with all the evidence we had,” Tonks said.

“You can never have too much evidence,” Kingsley admonished. “Besides, I was curious about him.  As far as I know, this is the first crime of its type.  I wanted to know what he was like.  Turns out he’s a prick.”

Tonks smirked. “Pretty sure I could have told you that already.”

“Well it’s good to make sure.” Kingsley straightened up. “I’ve got a lot left to do, but you two should head home and get some rest.  You look like you’re about to fall over.”

“You won’t hear me complaining,” Tonks said.  To Harry’s eye, she did indeed look very tired.  She hadn’t even bothered to brighten up her hair.  For his part, Harry couldn’t remember feeling this tired since OWLs. “Come on, Harry, let’s get out of here.”

“One more thing though,” Kingsley said as they started to leave.  They turned back to see an unusually broad grin on his face. “Good job you two.  You make a good team.”

Tonks beamed, and slipped an arm around Harry. “I agree.”  Harry felt his face warm, but couldn’t help nodding fervently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know it's not the sort of action packed finale featured in most of the books, but I'm obviously trying to make a point here. For anyone who wanted more fighting and heroism, I'm currently planning a follow up that will be much more traditional in that regard.
> 
> Otherwise, we're pretty much done! I have a couple more chapters to wrap things up and give our characters a good send off. Thank you as always for reading!


	20. Decompression

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter, just to wrap up the hunt for Alberton. Enjoy!

“Merlin’s beard I need a shower,” Tonks griped the moment they entered the apartment.  She immediately began shedding her robes, tossing articles of clothing around the living room at random.

Harry chuckled. “Mind if I join you?” Although he hadn’t participated in the action, he still felt the need to wash off the stench of Alberton’s lair.

Tonks beamed at him over her now naked shoulder. “Not at all.”

However, they’d only just started heating up the water when Tonks groaned loudly.

“What is it?” Harry said immediately, looking at her in concern. “Something else get hurt?” Once they’d had a moment to spare, she’d cleaned up the scrapes on her face in an instant, but that didn’t mean she might not have missed something else in the heat of battle.

“No,” she replied with an irritated look on her face. “I just remembered, I told my mum I’d send her an owl once we were done.  I should probably do that first.”

Although Harry was reluctant to send away his stunning, naked girlfriend, he had to admit it was the safer option. “You’re probably right.  Otherwise she might burst in here looking for you.”

“My worry precisely,” Tonks said with a sigh. “You go ahead and get in, I’ll try to be fast.”

Harry was in no rush, and took his time enjoying the feeling of the hot water cascading over him.  It felt like the shower was washing away the tension of the last few months.  The relief at not only catching Alberton, but managing it without some sort of incident, was palpable.  No one had died, or even really been injured, and he hadn’t been reprimanded by Kingsley in the process. 

This was how it should be, he reflected.  Not easy by any means, not without its stressful moments, but not like it had been during the war.  Every battle he’d fought while at Hogwarts had been followed by a bone deep weariness, even when they’d gone well.  Now, despite how physically tired he felt, he was rather energized.  It was, he realized with no small amount of surprise, much better to have more than two or three people at a time to rely on.  Sure, his squad had caught Alberton, but only because everyone else had done their jobs.  For once, the whole thing wasn’t on him alone. 

He was so caught up in these thoughts that he didn’t notice Tonks reentering the bathroom until he felt her press up against him, wrapping her arms around his chest and pushing her breasts into his back.

“Everything alright?” she asked softly.

“Perfect,” he replied happily. “Any trouble with the letter?”

“No, it’s all good,” she said. “Hope you don’t mind, I used Artemis.  She’s a good bit faster.”

“Course not.  You reckon that’ll be enough?”

Tonks let out a dry laugh. “Not at all.  We’ll have to go over soon and give her a play by play, just to reassure her.”

“Not right now though?”

“Not right now,” she reassured him, snuggling against his back.

They stayed that way for several wonderful moments.  Eventually Harry thought to ask, “Did you need the water?”

“Not yet,” Tonks said, still holding on to him tightly.  Her voice turned husky. “Remember I made a promise earlier today?”

It took Harry a brief moment to remember exactly what she was talking about, by which point her hands had drifted south and wrapped around his cock.  He moaned softly as she quickly got him hard.  It still amazed him how skilled she was at stroking him; she seemed to instinctively understand how hard to squeeze or fast to go.  One of her hands gently caressed his balls while the other twisted up and down his shaft.

“Does it feel good?” she asked, standing on tiptoes to nibble on his ear.

“Fuck yes!” Harry hissed, reaching back to grab a handful of her arse and pull her closer.

“Would my mouth feel better?” she said in a seductive whisper.

“Pretty sure you know the answer,” Harry said, even as he bucked into her hands.

She chuckled lightly. “Turn around then.”

He did so eagerly, noticing as he did that Tonks had turned her hair pink again.  All signs of exhaustion were gone, replaced by a familiar excited smirk.  The moment he was facing her, she sank down to her knees.

“Don’t hold back,” she said, before wrapping her lips around him.  This was a familiar code between them now, the one Tonks used to make clear that she was focusing on him.  She’d learned early on their relationship that Harry struggled to let others take care of him.  When she told him not to hold back, it meant that she wanted to make him feel good, and he could worry about bringing her to orgasm after orgasm later.

Harry sometimes felt she prioritized his pleasure too much, but at the moment he was happy to let her take charge.  She set a slow pace, in contrast the normally energetic blowjobs she tended to give.  Her mouth and tongue glided up and down Harry’s shaft, going just as deep as normal, but far more leisurely.  It was a new and interesting sensation, one that was oddly relaxing.  Harry was able to lean back against the wall of the shower and simply enjoy himself.

Tonks seemed content with taking her time lavishing Harry with attention.  Even when she pushed her head down so that the whole of his length was sheathed in her mouth, she still delicately caressed his thighs.  And when she drew back to suckle on the tip, her eyes sparkled with warmth looking up at him.  Harry had never thought of blowjobs as anything other than nakedly, perversely sexual, but Tonks was proving him wrong.  There was no other way to describe her actions than loving.  She was loving him with her mouth.  It was such an unusual mix of dirty and tender that Harry could barely stand it.

He didn’t bother holding back his moans as Tonks stroked and suckled him.  She’d long since made clear that she enjoyed hearing him make noise, and he didn’t want to disappoint.  In an attempt to further show his appreciation, he gently stroked her hair, not trying to take control of the pacing, simply express his affection.  She couldn’t exactly smile with her mouth so full, but her eyes crinkled happily nonetheless.

It took his orgasm much less time to build than he would have expected.  The surprising level of emotion Tonks managed to convey offset the otherwise tame blowjob she was giving.  Despite what she’d told him, Harry tried to hold back, wanting to draw out this moment as long as he could, but Tonks was relentless.

“I’m about to come,” he groaned, knowing she wouldn’t stop but wanting to give her warning all the same.  He probably didn’t need to; Tonks had become very familiar with the rhythms of his pleasure.

True to form, she backed off slightly but kept going, stroking the bottom half of his cock with her hands while pressing her tongue firmly against the underside of his head.  She didn’t break eye contact as he began twitching in her mouth.  After drinking down the first few spurts, she surprised him by taking him out of her mouth entirely and nuzzling the tip of his cock with her lips and cheeks.  Rubbing him gently against her face, she let the rest of his orgasm decorate her pristine features.  It was once again, one of the filthiest yet affectionate things he’d ever seen her do.

When it was over, Harry sagged against the wall of the shower, struggling to keep his balance.  Tonks sat back on her heels and smiled happily up at him.  She made no move to wipe herself off, probably aware that Harry quite enjoyed how she looked covered in cum.  Sometimes she made a show of rubbing it in, or even licking it up, but this time she simply let Harry stare at her.

“You’ll make a girl blush, looking at her like that, Harry,” she said cheekily.

Harry gave a shaky laugh. “ _That’s_ what’ll make you blush?”

“I’m a very demur lady,” she said, tilting her head to show off her messy face even better. “Mind helping me up?”

Harry hastily extended a hand, helping a rather stiff looking Tonks to her feet.  She allowed him one last, long look at her before turning to rinse off under the water.  Harry stared at her, struggling to think of some way to repay her for such a wonderful experience.  After giving her a moment to wash off a bit, he moved up and wrapped his arms around her, much as she’d done a few minutes prior.

“Thank you,” he whispered against her neck.

She turned to press her lips against his. “Anytime,” she said with a smile. “Thought you should be rewarded for how well you did today.”

“This going to happen every time I finish a case?” Harry asked jokingly.

There wasn’t a hint of humor in the sensual smirk Tonks gave him though. “If you want it to.”

Harry gaped slightly, unable to form a response.  Tonks took advantage of his sudden muteness to lean over and give him a kiss.  His hands tightened around her stomach, pulling her closer as her tongue explored his mouth.  He lost himself in the simple pleasure of kissing her.

Somewhere along the way though, not content to just hold her waist, he found himself cupping her breasts.  Since their first time together, Harry had never grown tired of playing with her breasts, although he had yet to make her come that way again.  Tonks was usually too impatient to wait that long for an orgasm, but he still enjoyed teasing her nipples. 

She moaned into his mouth, one hand coming up to tangle in his hair, while the other pushed his palms harder onto her tits.  He took the hint and groped her breasts more roughly, massaging the flesh and pinching her nipples.  When he did that, she broke off the kiss and leaned her head back against his shoulder, mouth open in pleasure.

Not content with just that, Harry took the opportunity to reach between her legs and stroke the length of her pussy.  She widened her stance eagerly, allowing him better access.  He dipped a finger inside her, struck by how wet she already was.  Harry didn’t have as much experience using his fingers since Tonks normally preferred his tongue, but he did his best to pleasure her all the same.  He drew light circles around her clit, trying to imitate what he would do with his mouth normally.

From the volume of her breathing and the way her hand tightened sharply in his hair, he seemed to be doing a good job.  He added one more element to the mix by leaning down and kissing the base of her neck, right where he knew she was most sensitive.  It seemed like he was doing well, but he was still quite surprised when without warning, Tonks seized up in his arms.

Surprised or not, he continued playing with her pussy, wanting to prolong her orgasm.  He pressed down lightly on her clit and she writhed against him, rather enjoying how it made her arse rub against his cock.  Then, she went unexpectedly limp in his arms, forcing him to let up and make sure she didn’t collapse and hurt herself.

“Sorry,” she muttered, looking embarrassed as he helped her find her footing again.

“You alright?” he asked, a bit concerned.

“Fine,” she said, breathing rather hard. “Better than fine actually.  That felt _really_ good!  No one’s ever made me come like that.”

Harry tried not to look too proud of himself. “Anything in particular you liked?  For future reference, you know.”

Tonks was still looking more than a little dazed. “I’m not sure.  Something about having your arms around me like that just felt amazing.” She looked almost confused. “I usually get a little claustrophobic, but it only made it more intense.”

She leaned back against him, basking in the afterglow, but Harry’s brain was moving as fast as if he were on a broom.  There were few things that were fully off limits to Tonks, but she’d made clear that she had certain preferences.  Perfectly happy with those preferences, Harry had never really asked for anything different.  Now though, a number of ideas were spinning through his mind.

Tonks apparently noticed, because she wiggled her arse against his newly returned erection. “Want to go to bed?” she asked with a grin.

They finished washing up as fast as possible, dried themselves with a quick spell, and immediately rushed to the bedroom.  They got slowed up a bit when Tonks, apparently too impatient to wait, latched back onto Harry.  He struggled to navigate the hallway, unwilling to detach himself from her.

At last, they managed to make it to the bed.  Tonks pushed Harry onto his back, and wasted no time straddling him.  She made a show of rubbing the tip of his cock along her slit before sinking down onto him, making them both moan.

Tonks rode him hard and fast, rocking her hips as if they were being timed.  Harry didn’t mind the change of pace though, and helped her move quicker by gripping her arse and lifting her up and down on his cock, all the while enjoying the way that her breasts bounced above him.  Occasionally he would lean up and fasten his lips around a nipple, eliciting a fresh gasp from his fiendishly sexy girlfriend.

Dropping down, onto her elbows, Tonks kissed him fiercely again. “I want you to come for me!” she breathed lustfully.

“You first,” Harry replied with a challenging grin.

“You really want to make this a competition?” she said playfully, flexing her inner walls around him and making him groan.

“Together?” he suggested, struggling to hold back.

“Much better,” she said approvingly. “Now fuck me!”

They hadn’t exactly been going sedately before, but Harry spun her onto her back and upped pace to something just short of punishing.  The sound of their hips colliding filled the room, and over it all was Tonks practically screaming her approval.

“That’s it, right there, don’t fucking stop!” she cried as Harry hammered into her. “Don’t stop until you come inside me!”

Harry was only happy to oblige.  Deciding to test a theory, he grabbed Tonks’s arms and pinned them over her head while he continued fucking her.  She looked shocked by the sudden movement, but almost immediately her pussy clenched around him and she came hard underneath him.

If he had stopped, he probably could have held off from coming, but he was worried what Tonks would do to him if he disobeyed her.  Pushing as deep as he could, he let loose and savored the feeling of her cunt milking him for all he was worth.

He collapsed on top of her, letting go of her arms as he did.  She stroked his hair tenderly as they reveled in the moment.  Eventually he recovered enough to roll off of her, although they remained intertwined.  She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly.

“Was that alright?” he asked.

Tonks hummed happily. “You know it was.  I like it when you cut loose.  Speaking of which, what gave you the idea to do that with my hands?”

“Just an impulse.  Spur of the moment,” Harry said casually, hoping she would believe that.  He had some ideas that he didn’t want to spoil just yet, but luckily she seemed too hazy to question his flimsy explanation.

“You should try it again sometime,” she said sleepily.

“Will do,” Harry promised, fully intending to deliver. “Hey Tonks?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

Tonks smiled up at him. “I love you, Harry.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I love you too.”


	21. The First Days of the Rest of His Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this last chapter out, I kept going back and forth on whether to divide it into two or not. Plus dealing with life and shit like that. In the end, I decided to just upload it all at once and let everyone judge for themselves. So instead of two smaller final chapters, you get one big one.
> 
> This effectively serves as the end of Harry and Tonks's story. I might do a little epilogue featuring Ron and Hermione's wedding, and I have several short story follow ups planned, but this wraps up the main part of their narrative. I do hope you all enjoy the ending; as we know endings are rather difficult to get right. However, if you don't like how it all wrapped up, I'd love your feedback on what you think didn't work.
> 
> Thank you everyone who's read along, it's really been wonderful sharing my writing with you all!

Years later, when Harry looked back on the months that followed Alberton’s arrest, he was struck by how normal, how happy they seemed.  Not even since his first days at Hogwarts could he remember feeling so carefree.  Despite having one of the most dangerous jobs in the wizarding world, he found himself quite at ease.

He and Tonks both received commendations for their work on the case.  Even better, in her view, the case made the front page of the _Prophet_.  Kingsley granted the _Prophet’s_ request for an interview, and by some miracle managed to get a reporter more concerned with the actual details of the crime than Harry and Tonks’s love life, meaning the piece was actually halfway decent.  And although she didn’t mention it, Harry noticed the article sitting on Andromeda’s kitchen table the next time they visited.

All in all, the buzz of bringing in Alberton lasted quite a while and things settled into a comfortable rhythm.  Harry and Tonks remained partnered, to both their delight.  It took them several weeks to unravel all of Alberton’s misdeeds, as he’d been enchanting a surprising variety of Muggles.  Antidotes had to be administered, spells undone, and all of it with the utmost discretion.

Once that was accomplished, they moved on to more normal cases.  They brought in a Scottish wizard brewing up illegal potions, a South American witch trying to smuggle in a Peruvian Vipertooth, and, most entertainingly, Mundungus Fletcher when they caught him peddling counterfeit versions of George’s Defense line.  The smaller arrests were nowhere near as intense as the hunt for Alberton, but that suited Harry just fine.  The slower pace was quite to his liking, and he still took satisfaction from taking even moderately dangerous people off the streets.

If he was lacking for adrenaline in his work, Tonks more than made up for it at home.  Neither her sex drive, nor her creativity diminished perceptibly as their relationship progressed.  She continued to express her affections for Harry in extremely physical ways, and he loved every minute of it.

For his part, Harry began feeling more confident in their dynamic, and more willing to initiate and take charge during sex.  Tonks encouraged this, quite vocally at times.  He also started getting bolder about when he chose to turn in the coupons she’d given him at Christmas.  At first he’d kept it fairly tame, requesting only a kiss if they were at work, and saving the dirtier ones for when they got home.  But as time went on, he started taking risks.

One Saturday, as they were sitting at a Muggle café, having lunch, he slipped her a coupon that read “flashing.”  Despite the fact that she’d done it before, he half-expected her to balk at the request, especially since this particular café was much busier than the last.  She hadn’t hesitated though.  Smiling a bit nervously, she’d looked around before quickly lifting her shirt and giving him a fast, but glorious look at her breasts.

Her face was red, but she giggled as she covered back up.  Leaning across the table, she muttered, half embarrassed, half amused. “I think that bloke behind you may have seen.  I thought he was looking away, but he turned right as I did it.”

Harry couldn’t help glancing back.  The man sitting at the table behind them was indeed staring at Tonks, a look of shock on his face.  Harry found this oddly exciting, but was worried about how Tonks would feel.

“Sorry,” he muttered, turning back to her.

“Don’t be,” she reassured. “It comes with the territory.  He’s not the first to get a bit of an eyeful.  If I’m honest, it’s kind of exciting.”

Harry took one look at the flushed, slightly aroused expression on her face, and suggested they head home.  Tonks readily agreed, and they paid hurriedly, rushing from the café as soon as they were able.  They made it halfway to the bedroom before Harry got impatient and bent her over the couch, shoving his cock as deep as he could inside her.

After that, he felt comfortable making more dangerous requests.  He used up the other flashing coupons fairly quickly, once at the Ministry, another time when they were in the field, and, most dangerously, during a Weasley family dinner.  Each time they ended up having some of the most intense sex Harry could remember as soon as they got home.

The turning point was when he finally worked up the courage to hand Tonks a blowjob coupon in the hallway outside their apartment.  They’d been out late with Ron and Hermione, so the chance that anyone would see them was low, but it still added a thrilling element of fear to the encounter.  Despite the door to their apartment being less than a foot away, Tonks sank eagerly to her knees and pulled Harry’s pants down just enough to get at his cock. 

Harry only lasted a couple of minutes, the excitement of the whole situation driving him over the edge even faster than Tonks’s incredible technique.  Even though he hadn’t requested it, she made him come on her face again, adding to the depravity of the whole situation.  Harry hadn’t even gone soft after that, and he immediately took Tonks inside and shagged for what felt like hours.

They took greater and greater risks until one day, Harry found himself in a secluded corner of a park in broad daylight, holding Tonks up against the rough bark of a tree as he fucked her.  The only thing keeping anyone from seeing them was a few bushes, and the Invisibility Cloak draped around them.  Despite the urgency of the situation, they couldn’t afford to go too fast, lest the Cloak slip off of them, which mean that both their orgasms were slow to build.  However, they were all the more powerful for it; Harry had never felt Tonks shake like that as she struggled to stay quiet.

These experiences were ingrained on Harry’s memory, and they proved rather useful at several points.  As a senior Auror, Tonks still took part in training recruits.  This occasionally involved overnight excursions that left Harry alone in their apartment for a day or two.  He’d become accustomed to fairly regular sex, however, and found himself missing Tonks rather vividly on these occasions.  Luckily, she’d anticipated this possibility, and the first night he’d come home by himself, he found a little package lying on the kitchen counter.  Opening it, he saw a note from Tonks.

_Missing you lots tonight.  Left you a little something to make the evening more enjoyable._

_Love, Tonks._

Underneath the note, Tonks had included a wizarding photo of herself.  At first it seemed to be nothing more than a picture of her sitting in their bed, smiling and waving up at him.  This lifted Harry’s mood, but he was a little uncertain how this was meant to make the night fun.  To his surprise though, as he looked at the photo, the miniature Tonks started to lift her shirt.  He stared in shock as she slowly peeled off her clothes, leaving her completely naked.

The surprises didn’t end there, however.  In the photo, Tonks caressed her tits, making a show of pinching and playing with her nipples while casting sultry looks at the camera.  This continued for some time until, with a playful wink, she reached down and started playing with herself.

Harry didn’t think that anything short of a resurrected Voldemort bursting through the door could have torn his gaze away from the photo.  Hardly even away of what he was doing, Harry found himself stroking his cock while looking at the picture.  Tonks was rubbing her clit while continuing to massage her breasts.  Harry had never seen her touch herself before, and he had no idea if she was putting on an exaggerated display for him, but at that moment he didn’t really care.

He jerked off in time with Tonks’s motions, imaging all the while that she was looking up at him.  Which, he eventually realized, she had been.  And although he couldn’t hear it, there was no mistaking it when she came, writhing on the bed.  The sight of her coming put Harry over the top too, making quite the mess of himself.

In the photo, Tonks continued stroking herself lightly for a few moments before blowing Harry a kiss and getting up to walk out of the frame.  A few moments later, she returned, once again clothed, and sat back on the bed, smiling and waving at him.

Suffice to say, Harry enjoyed himself quite a bit that evening.

 ***

Not all the memorable moments that spring were quite so filthy.  There were several rather large changes to Harry’s life, some good, and some mixed.

The first came shortly after Alberton’s arrest.  Harry was sitting in his cubicle at the end of the day, finishing up some paperwork, when Neville poked his head in.

“D’you have a minute, Harry?” he asked.

“Course, Neville,” Harry said, glad for a distraction.  Despite generally enjoying Auror work, he still had very little patience for filling out forms.

“I just wanted to chat with you about something,” Neville said, somewhat quietly as he took a seat in Harry’s cramped cubicle.

“No problem.  What’s on your mind?”

Neville glanced around, not precisely nervous, but obviously ill at ease. “I’m not really sure how to start.”

“Is something wrong?” Harry asked, starting to feel concerned.

“Not really.  Well maybe.  I don’t know.” Neville shook his head.

“Look, just tell me what it is, and we can sort it out,” Harry said.

Neville took a deep, steadying breath. “Professor McGonagall offered me a job.”

Despite himself, Harry couldn’t help the look of surprise that spread over his face. “You mean, teaching?” he clarified.

Neville nodded.  “She asked me a couple weeks ago, before we brought in Alberton.  Told me to think about it and get back to her once I made up my mind.”

Harry struggled to find words. “Wow, Neville, that’s…I mean wow.  Congratulations!”

“Thanks,” Neville said, with a bit of a smile. “I didn’t see it coming to be honest.”

“Well who would?” Harry admitted. “All the teachers are kind of old, you’d think they never hire anyone under fifty.” Neville laughed, looking a bit more at ease. “Which position did she offer you?” he asked, although he thought he knew the answer.

“Herbology,” Neville replied. “I guess Sprout’s looking to retire in a few years.  They’d bring me on to assist her, maybe teach some of the first years while she trains me.”

“That’s honestly really fantastic, Neville!” Harry said. “I’m guessing it was Sprout who suggested you?”

“Yeah it was.  She said I was one of the best students she’d ever had,” Neville confirmed, with a rare note of pride in his voice.

“I’m really happy for you,” Harry said, although not without a certain bit of melancholy.  Neville leaving the Office would mean one less friend he got to see on a regular basis. “What’s the problem then?”

“I’m not sure I should leave the Aurors,” Neville admitted. “It was what my dad did, you know, and I imagine Gran’d want me to stay.” ADD

Harry took his time in answering, realizing that this had become a delicate conversation.  He’d long been aware of the often unrealistic expectations Neville’s grandmother put on him, but he knew the solution wouldn’t be to start badmouthing the woman.  He tried to think of how Tonks would approach the situation.

“It’s probably a bit more important what _you_ want to do though, right?” Harry suggested. “Do you like being an Auror?”

Neville shrugged. “I suppose.  I mean, we get to take down people like that creep Alberton.  It’s important work.”

“It is,” Harry agreed, thinking about the conversation he and Tonks had in the Hog’s Head months ago. “All the more reason you should be sure it’s what you want to do.  Look, I think you’ve got a talent for Defense work, but that’s only part of what you need.  This isn’t like a lot of other jobs, Neville, you can’t do this half-hearted.”

Neville hung his head. “I just don’t want to let anyone down,” he muttered.

Harry let out an incredulous laugh. “Are you serious?  You’re Neville Longbottom, leader of the Hogwarts Resistance.  D’you know they used stories about what you and the rest of the DA did to keep people’s spirits up?  You have the Order of Merlin, for goodness sake.  Do you honestly think you’d be letting anyone down if you became a teacher?”

Neville had turned scarlet as Harry spoke, but he didn’t look convinced yet. “You didn’t, though.  You turned McGonagall down.”

“It wasn’t what I wanted,” Harry said honestly. “Maybe at some point I’ll change my mind, but right now I like doing this.  What about you?”

“No,” Neville admitted, “not really.  I know it matters, but honestly, I’m kind of sick of fighting.”

“I don’t blame you,” Harry said, feeling a bittersweet smile on his face. “I’m not gonna lie, I’ll miss you around here, Neville, but I’d rather you be doing something you want.”

“Me too.” Neville extended a hand, which Harry ignored, pulling him into a backslapping hug. “Thanks, Harry.”

“Anytime.”

 ***

The second event was far less bittersweet. 

Despite Harry’s general satisfaction with his life, one thing had been weighing heavy on his mind as summer grew nearer.  The anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts was rapidly approaching, and with it a whole host of unpleasant memories and reminders.  The Ministry had taken to calling it Victory Day and were planning to commemorate the death of Voldemort with all manner of activities.

The biggest of these would be the unveiling of a memorial on the grounds of Hogwarts.  It would be a monument to the fallen, each of their names engraved on enchanted stone, a reminder of those who had given their lives opposing the Dark Arts.  This seemed a fitting tribute to Harry, except for one thing…

Kingsley wanted him there for the unveiling.  Specifically, he wanted Harry to _conduct_ the unveiling.  As if that weren’t enough, he expected Harry to make some kind of speech.

“You’re joking, right?” Harry asked, with an incredulous grin. “Why in the world would you have _me_ do any of that?”

“Do you really need to ask?” Kingsley said with an air of forced patience. “You’re a huge symbol of everything we went through trying fighting Voldemort.  Having you speak for the victims would mean a lot to the wizarding community.”

“Find another symbol,” Harry responded bluntly. “I’m sick of it.”

“I get that, Harry, and I’m not all that fond of shoving you in the spotlight either,” Kingsley said. “But this is about more than just our preferences.  The country’s still healing from what Voldemort did to it, and we probably will be for a long time.  Things like this go a long way towards making people feel like their sacrifices were worth it.”

Harry glared at the Minister, not bothering to hide his displeasure. “Not fair,” he said.

“We don’t always have the luxury of fair.”

Harry sighed heavily. “Let me think about it.”

Eventually, after talking it over with Tonks, Ron, and Hermione, he agreed, although he refused to make any kind of speech.  Kingsley was happy with the compromise, but Harry found the prospect of the whole ceremony rather dreadful.

It was thus, with no small amount of trepidation that he found himself on May the second attempting to select an appropriate outfit to wear in front of dozens of somber witches and wizards.  The only consolation was knowing that Tonks would be next to him the whole time; one of his stipulations being her presence.  A small stage had been constructed next to the memorial for the various dignitaries and speakers to sit, including Harry, Kingsley, and McGonagall.

“It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for her to be up there too,” Kingsley had tried to argue.  Despite being an Auror, Tonks’s contributions to the Battle had not been any more significant than the other participants, and she’d originally been seated in the section reserved for combatants.  It was a substantial recognition, but too far away for Harry’s taste.

“I don’t care,” he said flatly. “You want me to be a show horse, fine, but Tonks better be up there with me.”

Tonks wasn’t especially pleased being the center of attention, but she grasped how much it meant to Harry.  As he tied on a cravat, she ran a sympathetic hand over his shoulder.

“It’ll be quick,” she reassured him. “And when it’s over, I’ve got plenty of ideas to distract you.”

Harry summoned up a wan smile and steeled himself for the worst.  However, just as they were about to leave the apartment, a bright ball of silver light soared through the window.  It resolved into the shape of a familiar silver terrier which spoke in Ron’s voice.

“Fleur in labor.  Come to St. Mungo’s!” it said, before disappearing.

Harry looked at Tonks, shock reflected on her face.  As the news sunk in, they both broke into broad grins.

“Send Kingsley a message,” Harry said, feeling buoyant. “Afraid we can’t make it.”

Fleur gave birth at four twenty that afternoon to a beautiful, healthy little girl.  The childbirth ward at St. Mungo’s was not nearly large enough to accommodate the expansive Weasley clan and the Delacours, so they spent hours rotating through the ward.  Fleur would relinquish her daughter to no one besides Bill, Mrs. Weasley, or her mother, but they all oohed and ahhed over the silvery haired baby.  Harry couldn’t stop beaming, nor could Tonks, Ron, and Hermione.  George, despite his attempts at composure, cried the entire time.  He said it was the perfect gift on this particular day.

“What are you going to name her?” Hermione asked.

Bill and Fleur smile at each other before looking at their sleeping daughter.

“Victoire,” Bill said.

 ***

Finally, there came a dinner about three weeks after Victoire’s birth that would change their lives quite a bit.  Hermione, Harry, and Tonks were sitting in a restaurant that actually managed to accommodate both Tonks’s appetite and Hermione’s increasingly refined palate, waiting for Ron to arrive.  They’d been sitting there for close to an hour, or four appetizers, depending how one preferred to measure these things.  While Harry and Tonks were perfectly content to sit and snack on baguettes, cheeses, and soups while chatting with Hermione, the bushy haired witch was becoming increasingly agitated.

“Where is he?!” she burst out eventually. “You’re sure he didn’t get caught up at work?”

Harry shook his head, choosing to overlook the fact she’d already asked this question three times. “No, he left before me.  Said he had a couple errands to run.  I thought for sure he’d beat me here.”

Hermione made a noise of frustration. “He’s always doing this!  He says he’ll be somewhere on time, and then he’s completely late.  How hard is it to get here on time?”

Harry and Tonks exchanged a look and chose not to answer; neither of them being particularly punctual either.  Luckily Hermione seemed perfectly able to vent about her boyfriend without their input and spent the next several minutes muttering about what she would do to Ron once he showed up.  Harry was fervently thankful that they were in a Muggle restaurant, thus severely limiting Hermione’s options for retaliation.

He worried that he might have to remind Hermione of that however when Ron finally did arrive, looking harried and out of breath.  She looked so livid that Harry briefly considered grabbing Ron and making a run for it.

“Sorry I’m late,” Ron said, throwing his jacket over the empty fourth chair and sitting down across from Hermione. “That took way longer than I thought it would.”

Harry and Tonks both waved away his apology, but it seemed to make Hermione, if anything, even angrier.

“We’ve been waiting for over an hour!” she hissed indignantly. “An hour!”

Ron winced. “I know, I’m really sorry ‘Mione, I just had some things to take care of.”

“Things?” she repeated incredulously. “What kinds of things could possibly be worth making us wait for over an hour?”

Oddly, Ron glanced at Harry and Tonks before replying. “I’ll tell you about it later.  Why don’t we just order some food?”

Hermione’s nostrils flared dangerously. “We already had to order food, because if we’d waited for you, Tonks would have passed out from hunger by now!”

Tonks looked quite alarmed at having been brought into the dispute and looked at Harry with wide eyes.  More versed in the rhythms of Ron and Hermione’s arguments than her, he motioned discreetly not to say anything.

“Look, I said I was sorry, alright!” Ron said, starting to get worked up too. “I had something important I had to do.”

Hermione scoffed. “Oh really, and it couldn’t wait until a day when you weren’t supposed to be meeting someone?”

“I suppose,” he allowed, “but I didn’t want to wait so…”

“So it’s okay for us to sit around, but Merlin forbid you wait an extra minute for whatever the hell you had to do?” Hermione demanded.

“No, look—it’s not like that,” Ron sputtered, but Hermione cut across him.

“Well I want to know what was so important we had to sit here twiddling our thumbs waiting for you to show up?” she said, arching a haughty eyebrow.

Once again, Ron glanced at Harry and Tonks before saying, “I’d really rather hold off a bit if it’s alright.”

“No it’s not alright,” Hermione said at once. “I want to know what you were up to, because Harry says you even left early today, and I can’t imagine what you were doing that would have taken three hours!”

“We can leave?” Tonks suggested timidly, causing Harry to wince. “Give you a bit of privacy?”

“Absolutely not!” Hermione replied heatedly. “I’d like Ron to explain why he kept you all sitting here too!”

Ron looked torn.  Whatever it was that he’d been doing, he clearly didn’t want to talk about it in front of Harry and Tonks.  However, the look Hermione was giving him brooked no argument.  With a resigned sigh, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small black case.  He slid it across the table to Hermione, his expression slightly dejected.

“What’s this?” Hermione demanded.

“Open it and you’ll see,” Ron replied, rubbing a forlorn hand through his hair.

Looking suspicious, Hermione reached out and flipped open the little case.  Her expression turned confused when she saw a delicate golden ring set with a sapphire sitting in white velvet.

“That’s why I was late,” Ron explained. “I had to pick it up from George, he was helping me make it.”

Harry’s jaw dropped, and he looked from Ron to Hermione, shock wiping away all other thoughts.  Across from him, Tonks appeared similarly stunned.  Hermione, by contrast, seemed to be having trouble understanding what was going on.

“I don’t get it, why did you get me a ring?” she asked, puzzlement replacing anger as she picked up the ring and looked at it. “You already got me an anniversary gift.”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Come on, Hermione, aren’t I supposed to be the thick one?”

She looked at him, befuddlement written across her face.  With a reluctant chuckle, Ron reached across the table and plucked the ring from Hermione’s slack grip.  Sliding off his chair, he knelt next to the table, in front of Hermione, whose expression changed from confusion to shock.  Harry felt frozen; despite knowing he should probably not be here, he couldn’t make himself move a muscle.

“Hermione Jean Granger,” Ron began formally. “You’re the most wonderful, infuriating, incredible witch I’ve ever met.  You’ve made me happier than I ever thought I’d be, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Hermione’s eyes were wide, and she didn’t seem to be breathing properly.

“Hermione,” Ron continued, eyes shining. “Will you marry me?”

Harry, Tonks, and Ron waited with bated breath for Hermione’s answer.  Her eyes darted from the ring to Ron’s face and back again.  She appeared to struggle for words before finally, after what felt to Harry like an age, nodding.

Ron’s face broke out into a broad, relieved grin. “Is that a yes?”

Hermione nodded again, finding her voice. “Yes.  Yes of course!” Tears of happiness started streaming from her eyes as Ron slipped the ring onto her hand.  The two embraced as tightly as they had that first time in the Room of Requirement two years ago.

Harry jumped as people at tables around them started clapping loudly and cheering.  Wrapped up in the argument and subsequent proposal, he hadn’t realized that other diners had been taking notice as well.  Smiling ruefully at Tonks, he joined in, clapping and laughing when the two separated, looking chagrined at the attention they’d attracted.

Things settled down a bit after the server brought them a celebratory bottle of champagne, and the other patrons went back to their meals.  Ron resumed his seat, although Hermione refused to let go of his hand. 

“I can’t believe this,” Hermione kept saying, looking at the ring. “Where did you get this from?”

“Like I said, George helped me,” Ron explained. “He knows a couple people who handle jewelry, and we wanted to put a few enchantments on it.”

“Like what?”

Glancing around to make sure no one was looking, Ron took out his wand and tapped the sapphire.  It immediately turned into a deep red ruby. “I got a sapphire because it’s your birth stone, but I wasn’t sure what exactly you’d like.  I wanted to make sure it wasn’t set in stone, so to speak.  Is it alright?” he asked, somewhat tentatively.

“It’s beautiful,” Hermione said wonderingly. “I can’t believe you did this.  When were you planning to tell me?”

“I had a whole thing set up at home,” Ron said, apparently unable to stop grinning as well. “Flowers and music, you know.  Took a while to put together.”

“That’s why you were late?” she asked breathlessly.

“Well, part of it,” Ron hedged. “There’s some other stuff too, but that can wait.”

A slight edge returned to Hermione’s face. “What kinds of stuff?”

Ron chuckled, clearly resigning himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to be able to hold anything back. “I had to have a chat with Kingsley as well.  I’m quitting the Aurors.”

“WHAT?!”

This time Harry and Tonks joined in Hermione’s exclamation of surprise.  Several other restaurant goers looked around at them again.  Ron cast an apologetic smile around the table.

“I was planning to tell everyone a bit different,” he said, “but yeah.  Come next Monday, I’m out of there.”

This bit of news seemed to stun Hermione almost as much as the proposal. “But, you said you weren’t going to leave until you found something else?”

“I did,” Ron reassured her. “George offered me a job.  He wants me to come on and work at the shop with him.  I’ve been helping out a bit the last couple weeks when we’ve worked on the ring, and he says he likes having me around.”

Hermione looked like she might keel over from surprise, and frankly Harry felt pretty similar.  He was having trouble processing the string of surprises.  While he’d known that Ron wasn’t having a great go of Auror work, the news that he would be leaving so soon caught him like a ton of bricks.

Ron seemed to catch on to this as he caught sight of Harry. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, mate,” he said earnestly. “I didn’t think you’d try to talk me out of it, after Neville left, but I wasn’t sure.  It’s just not right for me.”

Harry managed to find his voice. “Not what you expected?” he asked in what he hoped was a sympathetic tone.

“Not really,” Ron shook his head. “I get why you like it, but honestly, it’s just a bit too boring for me.  We spent all those years fighting Death Eaters, and You-Know-Who, and even though it wasn’t a load of laughs, I kind of got used to the excitement.”

Harry nodded, the realization that his best friend would no longer be a few cubicles over starting to sink in.  He knew instinctively it was for the best, but he couldn’t help the sadness that brought him.  Ron had been next to him for almost ten years now, and while he’d known that might not always be the case, the reality was sobering.

“I get it,” he reassured Ron with a bittersweet smile. “I’ll miss having you there, I really will.  But I imagine you won’t get bored working with George.”

“No, it won’t,” Ron said, echoing Harry’s smile. “We’ve been talking for a while now actually.  I’ve got a lot of ideas for the shop.  It’s gonna to be really exciting!”

Unable to argue with the look of anticipation on Ron’s face, Harry summoned up a proper grin. “Well then, congratulations on both counts!”

Hermione still looked off balance.  Leaning across the table, she said, “Are you sure about this, Ron?”

“Course I am,” he said, turning back to her and taking both her hands. “I love you ‘Mione, and I don’t want you worrying about me coming home safe every other week, especially if we want to start a family.  I want this.”

Taking one look at her now fiancé, Hermione’s face broke into a broad, beaming smile.  The two leaned over the table to kiss again.

Across the table from him, Tonks gave Harry a sympathetic smile.  Raising a glass, she said softly, “To the happy couple!”

 ***

Ron and Neville’s departure marked the passing of an era for Harry.  There were still several members of the DA in the Auror Office, including Katie Bell, Padma Patil, Susan Bones, and Terry Boot, but his closest friends were now gone.  He thought that he might have been quite unhappy during those first few months if it weren’t for the fact that his work partner was also his girlfriend.  Not that he begrudged Ron’s choice; every time they saw him, he looked happier than Harry could remember.

The arrival of a new cohort of Auror recruits helped distract Harry a little.  The standards for entry were higher than they’d been when Kingsley invited Harry and his friends to join, but the need for new Aurors meant that they weren’t as stringent as pre-war levels.  Given that, and the draw of working with members of the famed Dumbledore’s Army, there were a healthy number of new faces added to the Office at the start of summer.

And there were silver linings.  Now that Ron was no longer at the Ministry, Hermione had taken to joining Tonks and Harry for lunch most days.  Harry found it ironic that not seeing one of his friends as often meant seeing the other far more frequently.  Of course, she usually wanted to talk with Tonks about the wedding, a subject that Harry found fascinating, but struggled to contribute to.

Ever since Bill and Fleur got married, Harry had been curious about how wizard weddings differed from Muggle ones.  Luckily, Hermione had researched this exact subject with typical thoroughness since becoming engaged.

“There’s actually quite a few parallels,” she explained eagerly when Harry brought up the subject. “The ceremonies tend to be quite similar in style.  Before the Statute of Secrecy wizards and Muggle lived together, so they usually had the same kinds of weddings.  It wasn’t until after the Statute was passed that things started shifting.”

“My dad told me Muggles still pray at weddings,” Tonks remarked. “Is that right?  I could never tell if he was having a go at me.”

“No, he was telling the truth,” Hermione said. “Muggle wedding ceremonies typically have a strong religious element.”

“Wait a second,” Harry interjected. “You mean wizards don’t have the same religions as Muggles?”

Hermione gave him the familiar look that meant he’d asked something silly. “Of course not, Harry.  Did you really not notice that wizards hardly ever mention God or religion.”

“Well…” Harry thought about it.  It was a glaringly obvious omission now that it was pointed out to him.  The Dursleys weren’t exactly spiritual folk, so he hadn’t been raised going to church, but it was still a bit of a shock to realize that he’d never once heard a wizard or witch mention faith. “Honestly, no, I didn’t.”

Hermione smiled indulgently. “Organized religion never really caught on with most European wizards.  Most of us can turn water into wine, so it’s not that impressive a trick.  We kept up pretenses around Muggles for a while, but after the Statute went into effect, that element of our ceremonies mostly died out.”

To her amusement, Harry and Tonks continued to bombard Hermione with alternating questions about wizarding and Muggle marriage traditions for the rest of the meal.  The conversation was more than academic for both of them, given the rather unusual wedding Ron and Hermione were planning.  There was simply no way for Muggles to attend a magical ceremony and reception, and both Ron and Hermione were skeptical that the Weasley clan could be trusted to behave themselves around Muggles.  So, they were going to hold two ceremonies, one for Hermione’s Muggle family members, and one for Ron’s.  Their parents and Ron’s siblings would of course attend both, but extended family and friends would be relegated to one or the other.

Except, that was, for Harry and Tonks.

The day after Ron proposed, he stopped by Harry’s cubicle with yet another surprise.

“I want you to be best man,” he told Harry with a broad grin.

“Wait, are you kidding?” Harry hadn’t even been clear on whether wizards typically _had_ wedding parties, and if they did, he was sure he wouldn’t be in it.  Ron had four brothers after all, surely one of them would be Ron’s best man.  However, Ron laughed when Harry brought this up.

“Come on, which of them would I actually want up there?  The one who turned my bear into a spider, the one who tried to disown us, or the one I only see every two years?  I’m having Bill be in the party, but you’re my best mate.  You’ve been as much a brother as they have.”

Harry was overwhelmed with sudden emotion, and he agreed on the spot.  Later he would reflect that it would have been smart to figure out exactly what being a best man at a wizard’s wedding entailed, but if he was being honest, he probably would have said yes anyway.

Tonks was in a similar position, as Hermione had asked her to be a bridesmaid.  Ginny would be maid of honor, but Tonks was still delighted to be involved.  She managed to keep it together when Hermione asked, but she dissolved into ecstatic tears the moment she and Harry were alone.

She was slightly less thrilled once she learned exactly how much shopping was involved.

“We went to five dress shops today,” she said irritably after arriving home one Saturday afternoon. “Five!  And that’s in addition to the four from last weekend, and the seven from the weekend before!  I didn’t even realize there _were_ that many places to look for dresses in London.”

Harry grinned from his spot on the couch. “I think there’s probably a lot more than that.”

“Well it looks like Hermione plans to take us to all of them,” Tonks griped. “We didn’t buy a single thing the entire time.”

“What was the problem this time?” he asked.

“She’s still determined to find a color scheme that matches both mine and Ginny’s hair,” Tonks replied, still too aggravated to sit. “Even though I’ve told her a thousand times that I’m fine changing it for one night.  But she keeps saying she doesn’t want to be a bother.  Problem is, you can’t really find a decent dress that doesn’t clash with this shade of pink.” She pointed to her own head.  Harry had to admit she had a decent point; the particular variety of pink she preferred was not especially subtle.

“This is all your fault, you know,” she said, casting him a dour look.

“Me?” Harry said indignantly, “What did I do?”

“You had to go and tell me how much you liked my hair pink,” she said sternly. “So of course I’ve been wearing like this way more than I would have otherwise.  Now Hermione’s got it in her head that it’s the only color I like.”

“You could try doing it different around her,” Harry suggested. “Make it seem like you’re tired of pink.”

“Tried that already,” Tonks huffed. “Every time I try to change it, she tells me to put it back so we can make sure it matches.  I swear, if she keeps this up, I’m coming to the wedding stark naked!  See how she thinks that matches!”

“Not that I wouldn’t enjoy that, but maybe we should hold off on anything drastic first,” Harry said delicately. “Let me talk to Ron, see if he can reason with Hermione.”

“Yeah, alright,” she said, flopping down on the couch. “Just make sure he knows Ginny and I are about an inch away from fleeing the country.”

“She’s not having much fun either?” Harry asked.

Tonks snorted. “That’s an understatement.  If anything she hates it even more than me.  When’s the last time you saw her in a dress?”

Harry had to think about it. “Bill and Fleur’s wedding I guess.  She didn’t seem to mind it then.”

“That’s because Fleur was a control freak and made all the decisions herself,” Tonks said. “Hermione wants input.  She wants us to tell her exactly what we think about each stupid, puffy white dress she tries on.  The truth is she looks like a marshmallow, and I want to stick her over a fire and roast her.”

Harry gave an involuntary snort of laughter at the image.  Tonks smiled reluctantly at his reaction. “Sorry to complain so much.  This just wasn’t what I was expecting.”

“What were you expecting?”

“Honestly, I thought I’d get to wear a pretty dress that someone else had picked out for me, eat a ton of cake, and have sex with the best man in an empty room when no one was looking,” she replied. “I didn’t realize there’d be all this stuff to do first.”

Harry flushed red at the sudden image this conjured. “I’m pretty sure we can still do one or two of those things,” he said casually.

“Not if Hermione has her way,” Tonks said dourly. “From the sound of it, she has each ceremony scheduled down to the minute.  We’ll be lucky if we can squeeze in a quickie between wardrobe changes.  Oh yeah, did I forget to mention?  She wants different outfits for each version of the wedding.”

Tonks sighed heavily. “At this point I think I’d jump off a bridge before ever having to deal with a wedding again.” She froze and looked at Harry quickly as she realized the implications of what she’d just said. “I mean—well I didn’t mean _never_ , I just mean—you know, not like this crazy hassle.  We’ve just—well I wasn’t sure what you’re thinking—I mean it’s still early after all and-”

“It’s alright,” Harry cut across, for she looked like she might continue babbling forever. “I know what you meant.”

Tonks had turned scarlet. “It’s just, kind of a lot of fuss, you know.  But I didn’t want you to think I’m like planning to ditch you or anything.  Or that I’m opposed to the idea, it’s just-”

Despite the fact that her reaction had caused a bit of a twinge, Harry laughed and leaned forward to place a finger on her lips. “Come on Tonks, I wasn’t expecting us to get engaged after less than a year.”

Tonks frowned, “Are you sure though?  I thought, maybe seeing Ron and Hermione, you might want to start moving things along?”

“It’s different,” Harry reassured her, “They’ve been together a good ten years now.”

“Hang on, I thought they only started dating after the Battle?”

“Yeah so do they,” Harry said, chuckling. “Trust me, they’ve been together since they met, whether they realize it or not.  Besides,” he went on, “I only just turned twenty.  If anyone was in a hurry to get a move on, I figured it’d be you.  I mean, you’re what, twenty-six?  Getting close to middle age now, aren’t you?”

Despite that fact that his tone was jovial, Tonks looked pensive. “To be honest, I never really saw myself getting married.  Not that I didn’t think I’d meet someone, although I wondered sometimes.  It just, didn’t seem like my thing.  I kind of figured it would be for you though.”

Harry shrugged. “I never really thought about it to be honest.  I was pretty sure I wouldn’t make it past seventeen, so marriage was pretty far down the list of concerns.  Ginny and I talked about it a couple times, but I don’t think either of us were very serious.  After that, well… I’m just happy I met someone like you.”

Tonks smiled tentatively. “Me too.  It’s not that I don’t love you, Harry, it just did feel a bit early to be thinking that far ahead.”

“I’m not arguing,” Harry said. “I’m fine taking things as they come.”

Tonks sagged back against the couch, looking exhausted. “What a day.  First, I had to spend six hours looking for a dress, then I half convince my boyfriend that I’m never going to commit to him.  I’m kind of scared to do anything else.”

Harry chuckled. “Sounds like you need to relax a bit.”

“You have something in mind?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

In response, Harry leaned forward and handed her the very last of the love coupons she’d given him at Christmas.  The one reading, “Anything.”

She looked at it in surprise. “I almost thought you’d forgotten this one.  Or gotten scared and chickened out.”

“Nope,” Harry shook his head. “I was saving it for a special occasion.”

“And distracting your girlfriend with intense sex counts as a special occasion?” Tonks inquired. “I’d have thought you’d save it for a birthday.”

“You seemed to have that covered,” Harry remarked.  Tonks had indeed made his birthday memorable.  She’d had him take another dose of the stamina potion and spent literally the whole day pleasuring him, pausing only for quick meal and bathroom breaks.  Since it was his twentieth birthday, she’d insisted that they try to get him to twenty orgasms.  It was an absurd number in his opinion, but one that she somehow managed to pull off.  “I was thinking something a little more reasonable,”

“Well I’m obviously not going to say no,” Tonks said. “But just so you know, I’m not sure how good I’ll be right at the moment, so if you’d rather wait...”

Harry smirked, knowing she was expecting something particularly kinky or dirty.  But there was no way she’d be able to anticipate what he had in mind. “I’ll take my chances,” he said.

“Lead the way then,” she said, standing up and looking determined. “Unless you wanted me out here?”

“Nope, bedroom’s perfect,” Harry said, getting up and walking down the hallway.  He waved his wand as he entered the dark room, causing the numerous candles he’d set up to ignite at once.

Tonks paused as she saw this, along with the silk sheets he’d laid across the bed, and the bottles of massage oil sitting on their night tables. “You were planning this regardless?”

“Yeah,” Harry admitted, “but I was pretty sure you’d come home in a mood.  Six hours with Hermione is enough to drive anyone insane.”

“And your idea of relaxation is for me to give you a massage?” Tonks asked skeptically.

“Nope,” he said with a grin. “It’s giving _you_ a massage.”

“Wait,” she said in confusion, “what now?”

Harry just kept smiling.  “Let’s set a couple ground rules, alright?  First things first, no physical changes, okay?  I want you just as you tonight.”

Tonks raised her eyebrows but didn’t question him.  A moment later her hair was its natural curly brown and she’d shrunk slightly.

“Good,” Harry said. “Second thing, if you’re uncomfortable with anything, just say so and I’ll stop right away, alright?”

He waited until Tonks nodded before continuing.

“Finally, _unless_ you’re uncomfortable with something, I don’t want you taking charge at any point.  You do what I tell you to.”

Looking intrigued, and a tiny bit apprehensive, Tonks nodded once more.

“Then let’s get you undressed,” he said.

Immediately she made to take off her clothes, but Harry swatted her hands away so he could do it himself.  Tonks tended to strip herself quickly and efficiently.  Harry wasn’t in the mood for quick and efficient today though.  He peeled her shirt off slowly, appreciating every inch of skin as it was revealed.  As usual, she’d foregone a bra, meaning he got to appreciate her breasts as they were freed from the loose shirt.

She looked at him uncertainly once he had her topless.  Harry could tell that this was far from what she’d expected, but the slight flush of her cheeks, and the way that her nipples had hardened told him it wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

“Remember,” he told her sincerely, “anything you don’t like, just tell me to stop and I will.”

She nodded, seemingly struck mute.

Satisfied, he sank to his knees and set to work on her shoes, untying the laces until he could slip them off her feet.  Then he unfastened her jeans, pulling them down slowly over her hips.  She’d worn underwear today, presumably because she’d been trying on clothes, and Harry appreciated being able to take those off as well.  He trailed his fingers lightly over her legs as he did, causing goosebumps to appear on her soft skin.

Once she was naked, she looked at Harry for further instructions, uncharacteristically quiet. “Lie down on the bed.  On your stomach,” Harry told her gently.

Tonks crawled onto the silk-lined bed, and stretched out on her stomach, resting her head on her arms.  Harry took a moment to admire the soft curves of her body before getting started.  Standing next to her, he poured a generous amount of the massage oil onto his hands and started kneading her shoulders.

She was tense at first, whether because of the stress of the day, or because of nervousness about what Harry was planning, he couldn’t tell, but he worked on her patiently.  He didn’t hurry as he slowly massaged the tension out of her neck and shoulders before moving to the rest of her back.  His hands moved in soft circles, doing his best to unwind each muscle as he went.  Every now and then he would apply a bit more of the oil, until Tonks’s skin gleamed in the candlelight.  He didn’t stop at her back either, making sure to gently squeeze her arse before moving to her legs.

Somewhere along the way he felt a shift in Tonks’s body language.  The stiffness and uncertainty seemed to bleed out of her as his hands caressed every inch of her body.  After he was satisfied that she was as relaxed as possible, he leaned close and planted a soft kiss on her ear.

“How are you feeling?” he asked gently.

“Wonderful,” she told him with a lazy smile. “Where’d you learn to do this?”

“A gentleman never massages and tells,” he said with a grin, borrowing the expression she loved so much. “Turn over so I can get your front too.”

She rolled onto her back quite eagerly and looked up at Harry with far more excitement than before.  Grabbing more oil, Harry started with her arms, caressing from her wrists up to her shoulders.  Her eyes drifted closed as he rubbed the front of her shoulders, although he avoided her breasts for the time being.

Tonks was slightly ticklish, so he made sure not to press to hard on her sides and stomach.  She still let out a couple giggles though as he hit particularly sensitive spots, but it didn’t seem unpleasant.  Her breath hitched in an entirely different way when he made it to her thighs.  He made sure his fingers never came into contact with her pussy, although they came close as he massaged the insides of her legs.  She didn’t say anything, but the way her lips glistened reassured him that she was enjoying herself.

Only once he’d lavished every other inch of her body with care did he finally pay attention to her hitherto neglected breasts.  The massage oil made his hands slide across the soft globes, perking up her nipples with gentle flicks of his fingertips.  Her breathing deepened considerably as he took his time playing with her breasts, and he definitely didn’t think he was imagining the way her thighs were rubbing together.

Once her whole body was shining with the oil, and he was sure that she was as aroused as he could possibly get her, he finally let his fingers wander across the expanse of her stomach and make contact with her pussy.  She inhaled sharply as he ran a slick finger down across her clit, between her lips, and into the tight opening of her cunt.  Her legs parted of their own accord, and she ground her hips against his hand.

He took his time caressing her pussy, just he had every other part of her, not wanting to rush a single thing.  His free hand continued to massage and stroke every other part of her he could reach, paying special attention to her breasts.

Tonks writhed as he slowly built up her pleasure.  Her eyes remained close, but she bit her lip and moaned softly under his ministrations.  At one point, apparently unconsciously, she reached out and ran a hand over Harry’s still clothed crotch.  He took that as a sign that it was time to up the ante.  Taking out his wand, he muttered an incantation.

Immediately, two lengths of silk snaked across Tonks’s body and wrapped themselves around her wrists.  Gently, but insistently, they pulled her hands up above her body, preventing her from moving her arms.

Her eyes flew open as this happened, looking at Harry in shock.

“You can take them off at any point,” he reassured her. “Just say ‘let me go,’ and the enchantment will break.  Alright?”

She licked her lips apprehensively but nodded.  When she didn’t make a move to free herself, Harry took this as permission to continue.  He resumed stroking her clit, a little faster this time.  The way Tonks was bound pushed her breasts out, and he found himself increasingly turned on by the sight of her stretched out on the bed.  She was flushed all over and despite, or perhaps because of, her nervousness she seemed to be approaching orgasm very quickly.  She writhed against his hand even more than before, and her hands clenched around her silk bonds.

She let out a loud moan as she came and bucked as much as she was able, thrusting her hips against his fingers.  Harry basked in the thrill of making her come, and withdrew his hands from her body while she recovered.  He knelt next to the bed so that he could look her in the eye.

“How are you feeling?” he asked again.

“Good,” she said, a bit timidly. “I wasn’t really expecting this.”

“Do you want to stop?” he inquired.

She considered for a brief moment before shaking her head.

“Should I keep going?”

A nod, hesitant and slightly uncertain, but reinforced by the excitement in her eyes.

Exhilaration coursing through him, Harry leaned forward and kissed her softly on the mouth before trailing his lips down her chin and neck.  She shivered as his lips left feathery touches down her skin until he reached her breasts.  He wrapped his lips around a nipple and sucked lightly.  Tonks rewarded him with another moan and pushed her chest into his mouth. 

He kept at it licking, sucking, biting, and kissing the delicious mounds as Tonks writhed underneath him.  He hadn’t made her come just from breast play since their very first time together, and he was bound and determined to change that right now.  He knew hew was getting close when Tonks started whimpering just above him.  That was the only warning he got as her entire body seized up.  Another thrill of triumph rushed through Harry.

This time he didn’t stop to let her recover.  Continuing to lightly nip at her breasts, he went back to fingering her as well.  He bypassed her clit entirely, opting instead to bury a finger inside of her soaked opening.  She let out an adorable little squeak at the intrusion and looked up at him, a mixture of eagerness and trepidation on her face as she realized that he didn’t mean to let up any time soon.

Harry had a lot more experience pleasuring her this way, since he frequently used a finger or two when eating her out.  All he had to do was crook slightly to stimulate that special spot that drove her wild.  Tonks gasped and bucked her hips even more sharply, eyes fluttering closed.  He kept it up, crooking his finger in time with the movement of her hips, until he was practically finger fucking her.  He only paused once to add a second finger to the mix, stretching out her remarkably tight pussy even more.

Tonks looked like she might start hyperventilating when she came again, sharp keens of pleasure punctuating each gasping breath.  Harry did finally stop to let her rest a bit when her orgasm passed.

“How are you feeling?”

By now Tonks recognized the check in for what it is.  She gave Harry a reassuring smile. “I’m feeling wonderful.”

“Are you ready for a bit more?” he asked.

There was far less hesitation and more eagerness in her expression when she nodded vigorously, even once he produced a silk blindfold. “If you don’t like it,” he told her, “all you have to do is say ‘let me see,’ and it’ll fall off.”

“I understand,” she said. “Put it on.”

He wrapped the length of silk over her eyes, and secured it gently at the back with a simple spell.  Tonks was biting her lip a bit, but from arousal now.  Her nipples hadn’t even softened from her previous orgasm, and Harry was quite eager to give her more.  He started fingering her again, just to get her acclimatized while he pulled out the next surprise.

“How is it?” he asked, reaching under the bed for a package.

“It’s nice,” Tonks admitted.  She seemed to be overcoming her earlier muteness as she got more comfortable. “I’ve never been blindfolded before, it’s interesting.”

“Do you mind if I try something new?” Harry said, opening the package and extracting a long, cylindrical object that Muggle women the world over would recognize instantly.

“You’re so about to put something in my arse aren’t you?” Tonks remarked.

Harry chuckled. “No, I’m not.  This might be a little strange, but I think you’ll like it.”

Even with the blindfold, Harry could sense Tonks’s skepticism, but she nodded all the same. “Go ahead then.”

She frowned when she heard the sound of buzzing, but didn’t put the pieces together until Harry brought the Muggle vibrator into contact with her pussy.  She let out a yelp, and her hips twitched involuntarily at the sensation.

“Merlin’s beard!” she exclaimed. “What is that?”

Harry smiled. “Do you like it?”

“It’s certainly new,” she replied. “Keep going, let me see.”

Harry continued applying the vibrator to her clit, letting it slide up and down her pussy a bit so he could stimulate as much of her as possible.  She was clenching her hands around the silk ties again, apparently uncertain what to think about what Harry was doing to her.

“That really is different,” she gasped. “Don’t stop though, it feels kind of nice.”

“Not too much?” Harry asked.

“No, just surprising,” she admitted.

“Good,” Harry replied, before flicking up the toy to a higher setting.

Tonks shrieked, feeling the vibration escalate significantly.  Her head fell to the side, trying to muffle her cries against her arm, but to little avail.  Harry had no idea what this would feel like, but he’d had it on good authority that very few women objected to this kind of toy.  Tonks seemed no exception as yet another powerful orgasm started to overtake her.  Harry could hardly remember seeing her come so spectacularly, writhing and bucking on the bed as if she were possessed.

“Okay, okay, okay,” she gasped eventually, and Harry took mercy on her and turned off the toy. “What in the world did you just do to me?”

Harry smirked, even though she couldn’t see. “Tell you later.  Can you take more?”

“Hell yes!” she said eagerly, and Harry restarted the vibrator.

He brought her to two more loud, quivering orgasms before deciding that he wanted to be more directly involved.  After her latest round of moaning and shaking, he put the toy away and knelt down between her legs.

“You’re really looking to test me out here, aren’t you?” Tonks remarked breathlessly once she felt his tongue on her clit.

Harry didn’t reply, too busy enjoying the taste of her pussy.  Knowing that she was probably getting very sensitive, he made sure to take his time, licking her as softly as possible.  With the slower pacing, her motions were more languid, but still just as exciting to Harry.  He was able to bring her to a quiet, mild climax before starting on his best moves.

Tonks’s appreciation of his Parseltongue maneuver hadn’t diminished at all over time, and this proved no exception.  Despite having come from being fingered, vibrated, and licked, she responded just as strongly to the feeling of his tongue undulating across her cunt.  More so, perhaps, because she was restrained and helpless underneath him.  Her orgasms were spectacular, and Harry lost all sense of time as he drank in her pleasure like it was the sweetest nectar.

However, even Tonks had limits, and they were bound to run into them sooner or later.  After a series of cascading climaxes, each stronger than the last, she whimpered, “I’m not sure I can take much more, Harry.”

Lifting his head from between her legs, he asked, “How about one more?”

Exhaustion warred with desire on her partially obscured face before she nodded one last time.  This caused Harry considerable relief.  The evening’s activities had been focused solely on Tonks’s pleasure, and he thought he might explode if he didn’t get any soon.

Standing up, he quickly shed his clothes, finally freeing his erection.  He crawled onto the bed next to Tonks, who looked over as she felt him get closer.  Waving his wand, he made one last modification to the silk ties holding Tonks’s arms above her head.  They relinquished their hold on the top of the bed, while remaining wrapped around her wrists, acting as a sort of soft, magical handcuff that kept her hands together.  The blindfold he left on.

Tonks let him roll her onto her side facing away from him while he scooted as close to her as he could.  One arm went under her neck, supporting her head and reaching down to cup her breasts.  The other situated his cock at her entrance.  She was as wet as he’d ever felt her, and he slid into her easily.

Tonks moaned lightly at being filled, and Harry though he might burst from relief.  Wrapping the other arm around her, he took hold of her bound hands, puling her body as close to him as possible.

He tried to go slowly, to savor the moment, but the burning need that had built up over the course of pleasuring Tonks caused him to pick up the pace far quicker than he’d planned.  Tonks whimpered again under the onslaught, pressing her body back against Harry with each thrust.  She opened her mouth but appeared incapable of words as he took her roughly.

Harry was positive that he wouldn’t be able to last long enough to make her come again, but he was wrong.  Wrapped up tightly in his arms, there was no way to mistake it when she came, small cries of pleasure escaping her lips.  That was more than enough to put Harry over the top, and he saw stars as he buried himself as deep in Tonks as he could, filling her up with his release.

It was long minutes before he recovered his wits enough to let go of Tonks, not that she seemed to mind.  She was snuggled up against Harry, and she whined in protest when he pulled out of her.  It took him a moment of fumbling to undo the silk ties around her wrists, and the blindfold.

She blinked up at him, eyes dilated as they adjusted to the light.  He was alarmed to see several lines tracking down her cheeks.

“Are you alright?” he asked hurriedly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for that to be too much, I-”

Tonks silenced him with a kiss so full of love and passion it quite literally took his breath away.  She held him close, arms wrapped as tight as possible around his neck.  When she let him go, her eyes were still shining.

“Thank you, Harry,” she said with a soft, radiant smile. “That was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever experienced.”

“You didn’t mind it?” Harry asked, still slightly concerned.  Now that the lust and excitement had passed, he wondered if he’d gone too far.

She shook her head. “I’ve never felt so pampered in my whole life, it felt like you were worshipping me.  No one’s ever done anything like before.”

“I’m glad,” Harry said, with considerable relief. “I wasn’t quite sure you’d like it.”

“A couple hours ago I wouldn’t have been either,” Tonks admitted, pulling him down to lay next to her.  She continued to gaze at him with happy, wondering eyes. “What made you think I would?  I told you I wasn’t into bondage.”

“I figured you’d only tried it with one of your arsehole exes,” Harry explained. “Maybe that bloke that kept trying to get you to look like his first girlfriend?  Something like that.”

Tonks’s expression turned surprise. “You’re right, it was.  How on earth did you guess that?”

Harry shrugged. “Based on what you said, he seemed the type.  Wanted to tie you up just so he could get off.  It didn’t sound like anyone had ever suggested it as a way to get _you_ off.  I thought it was worth a try.”

“You have surprisingly good instincts, Harry,” Tonks said, caressing his cheek. “There was something really wonderful about that.  Speaking of, d’you mind holding me like that again?”

She sounded oddly tentative, as if afraid to voice the desire, but Harry was only too happy to comply.  Turning her over, he wrapped her up in his arms again, and she clung to him as tightly as he could remember.  They stayed that way for a long time, basking in the comfort of each other’s presence. 

Later, after she’d had time to process, and experience a few repeats of this kind of encounter, Tonks was able to explain what Harry had grasped instinctively.  Being bound and helpless like this had seemed unappealing because of how hard it was for Tonks to trust her body with someone else.  But with someone she loved and trusted, who she knew cared about her, it opened up an entirely different side of her sexuality she hadn’t known existed.  In the years that followed, she never tired of taking charge in bed and blowing Harry’s mind with her imagination and creativity.  However, interspersed in those wild, uninhibited moments would be ones like this; times when Tonks would let herself give up control and feel more vulnerable than she thought possible.

“Harry?” Tonks’s voice was quiet and uncertain.

“Yeah?”

“I lied earlier.”

Harry frowned. “About what?”

“When I said I thought it was too early to be thinking that far ahead.” She shifted slightly so she could look at him.  Her expression was almost scared. “I’ve been thinking about it.  A lot actually.”

Harry’s heart caught in his throat.  He tried not to get his hopes up too much and just let her talk. “And what have you been thinking?”

“That I never imagined finding someone who would make me feel so loved, so _safe_ ,” she admitted. “And while I’m still not sure I’m the marriage type, at least not traditionally speaking, I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.  I know we haven’t been together that long in the grand scheme of things, and I know this probably sounds crazy, but I want to be with you Harry.  Forever.”

Harry felt like he was soaring higher than he’d ever flown on a broom.  He’d been sure, since almost the moment he and Tonks had first kissed, that she was the one for him.  He’d held back, knowing how hard it was for Tonks to trust someone else that much, and he couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for her to confess this to him.  Now that she had, he felt as if he’d been set free.

“I feel exactly the same way,” he said with as much sincerity as he possibly could. “There’s absolutely no one else I’d rather be with.”

Tonks’s fearful expression faded into relief. “Really?  You mean, you’re not just saying that because we just had sex?  You really mean it?”

“Yes of course!” Harry said with a laugh. “Tonks, I love you more than anything else in the world!  You’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met.  I’d rather cut off my foot than be with anyone else.”

Fresh tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes, and she leaned over to give him a watery kiss. “I love you so much, Harry.  I can’t imagine how lucky I am to have you.”

“Are you kidding?” he said incredulously. “There’s no way you got the better end of the bargain.  I’m definitely the lucky one here.”

It was a debate they would have for the rest of their lives.


End file.
